Concord Square in Paris

Concord square or in French Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris. This colossal square was at first dedicated to Luis XV the king of France, but soon afterwards was the place where his successor Luis XVI was executed during the French Revolution. Among other decorations the Egyptian obelisk in the center of the square draws most attention of tourists.

Concorde Square is the largest city square in Paris, over incredible 8.6 hectares. The Concorde Square was built in 1755 and soon afterwards named after King Luis XV, Place Louis XV. However, during the French Revolution the name was changed to the Square of Revolution, Place de la Révolution. In 1795 this square was renamed to Concord Square as a gesture of reconciliation after the dark events of the French Revolution. After the fall of Napoleon, the old monarchy was re-established in France and in 1814 the square was again renamed to Place Louis XV. In 1826 this square was renamed again to Place Louis XVI. After the second French Revolution in 1830, the name was finally changed to the Place de la Concorde and remained unchanged till this day.

During the French Revolution here on the Concord Square, among others, were executed King Luis XVI, his wife Queen Marie Antoinette and king’s youngest sister princess Élisabeth of France. During the revolution on this square were executed numerous supporters of the monarchy usually in the presence of a large crowd and by using one of the inventions of the revolution - the guillotine.

In the middle of the square there is a very large Egyptian Obelisk. This obelisk is one of two that were given away by Muhammad Ali, the Egyptian ruler, to France in the 19^th century. Due to its size and the difficulty to bring it to France, the second Obelisk stayed in Egypt and it was given back to the Egyptians by the French president in 1990. The obelisk on the Concorde Square is actually a 3,300 years old obelisk from Luxor in Egypt and originally commissioned by pharaoh Ramesses the Great. This obelisk is of yellow granite and weighs around 250 tons while it is 23 matters high.

Interesting facts

• Muhammad Ali of Egypt was a commander in the Ottoman army of Albanian origins, who became the ruler of Egypt and Sudan after the French occupation of Egypt has ended. He established a dynasty that was overthrown only in 1952 in the Egyptian revolution. Muhammad Ali gave away two Egyptian obelisks to France, one of which is located on the Concorde Square in Paris.