By: David Ariosto
Source: WMUR9 abc
The United States’ symbol of immigration and welcoming was originally intended to be a statue watching over the Suez Canal in Egypt, according to The Huffington Post.
According to the Smithsonian Institute’s magazine, the Statue of Liberty was originally conceived as a Muslim woman in traditional dress.
The Daily Beast reports French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi initially wanted the statue placed in Port Said.
The ruler of Egypt at the time, Isma’il Pasha, dismissed the project as being too expensive, according to The Huffington Post.
The Smithsonian Institute’s magazine reports Bartholdi eventually altered his plans and ultimately created “Liberty Enlightening the World,” the official name for Lady Liberty, which has been overlooking the New York Harbor since 1886.