The Statue of Liberty’s Arab Origins
25 March
New York’s iconic Statue of Liberty began life as a project destined for the Suez Canal. The sculptor, Frederick Bartholdi, was commissioned to create a lighthouse to stand at the new canal’s entrance. He called it ‘Egypt carrying the light to Asia’, but Egypt couldn’t afford it. So, when the French government wanted to donate a statue to commemorate the US Centenary, he repurposed the design. That’s how Lady Liberty came to light up the world from her home in New York.
