Was the Statue of Liberty Based on a Muslim Woman?

Was the Statue of Liberty Based on a Muslim Woman?
AP Photos
Zachary Stieber
Zachary Stieber
Senior Reporter
|Updated:

A debate over whether the Statue of Liberty was “born a Muslim woman” has been going on for the past couple of days, as some link the idea to the current refugee crisis.

Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, designed the iconic statue.

According to the National Park Service, prior to designing it, he took a life-changing trip throughout Europe and the Middle East, where Bartholdi “discovered his passion for large-scale public monuments and colossal sculptures.”

“In 1869, the Egyptian government expressed interest in designing a lighthouse for the Suez Canal. Eager and excited, Bartholdi designed a colossal statue of a robed woman holding a torch, which he called Egypt (or Progress) Brings Light to Asia. When he attended the canal’s inauguration, however, Bartholdi was informed that he would not be able to proceed with the lighthouse,” the service added.

(National Park Service)
National Park Service
Zachary Stieber
Zachary Stieber
Senior Reporter
Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at [email protected]
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