On October 25, 1836, over 200,000 people gathered in Paris’s Place de la Concorde to witness a historic event: the placement of the Luxor Obelisk in its new home at the heart of the French capital.
This awe-inspiring monument of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, carved from pink granite during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE, originally stood at the entrance of the Temple of Amun in Luxor. It was gifted to France by Egypt’s viceroy, Muhammad Ali Pasha, as a symbol of diplomatic friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
For nearly two centuries, the Luxor Obelisk has stood proudly as one of Paris’s iconic landmarks. Egyptologists have long believed that they had deciphered all of the hieroglyphic inscriptions adorning its surface. But now, Dr. Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, a leading scholar from the University of Paris-Sorbonne, claims there is more than meets the eye.
A Discovery from the Top
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Dr. Olette-Pelletier became the first expert since 1836 to receive permission to ascend to the top of the obelisk. Over several days, he conducted detailed measurements and analyses of the monument’s artistic patterns. His findings suggest that hidden messages have gone unnoticed for nearly 190 years.
Remarkably, Dr. Olette-Pelletier is one of only six people in the world with the ability to read "crypto-hieroglyphs" — a special category of secret messages subtly embedded within standard hieroglyphic inscriptions.
According to an interview he gave to Sciences et Avenir, one of these hidden inscriptions forms the phrase “Pacify the Ka power of Amun,” a reference to the divine life force associated with Amun, the ancient Egyptian god of air.
Secrets Yet to Be Revealed
While the full details of all seven hidden messages remain under wraps, Dr. Olette-Pelletier has confirmed that they will be published in an upcoming issue of the ENIM (Egyptologie et Nouvelles Interprétations Modernes), a respected journal of Egyptology.
If his findings are confirmed, they could shed new light on the obelisk’s symbolic significance — not just as a monument, but as a carefully encoded spiritual artifact, offering insights into the sacred beliefs and political intentions of ancient Egypt.
