The British Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world. Even though it is not remembered for the most honourable reasons, the collections that it holds and preserves are amazing. If you are going to London and planning to visit the British Museum, then here are some things that you should look out for, as they are some of the greatest treasures in the world!
The Elgin marbles were extracted from the Acropolis in Greece, by the British diplomat, Lord Elgin. He was at the time, ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece at the time. The British Museum provides a detailed description of the marble and the story that the sculpture is telling, which pertains to Greek mythology. These were once a part of the massive Acropolis, in the Parthenon complex in Athens, Greece which was dedicated to the goddess, Athena- and is one of the highest structures in the world. Though removed from the original, the best thing to do is to see this and also additionally plan a trip to Greece, where you can see the real structure, that it was once part of! These sculptures constituted what is considered one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world, and is surely something that should not be missed!
On the first floor of the British Museum, take a walk around the room dedicated to the history of the Enlightenment. Though at first sight seemingly boring, do walk in and you will find a fascinating history of collectors, and collections, created during the 19th century, who were instrumental in contributing to museums and exhibitions for display. This is very interesting as it gives us an idea about British society, back in the 19th century, and how it was based on acquiring objects from all over the world, which were considered curious, exotic and unique. However, the process of collecting was integral to the way a person wanted to be identified. Understanding this is a key to understanding the world's history, especially the British Museum itself, and therefore, you should go in!
The Rosetta stone is one of the most famous exhibits in the British Museum. It was broken out of a bigger stone slab and dates back to 204-181 BCE. It pertains to the monarch, Ptolemy V, and is an official declaration, stating the support of the priests for the king. This is one of the most revered objects as it is what scholars used to figure out the ancient Egyptian script. It has the same message written in three languages: Demotic, Ancient Greek and Egyptian hieroglyphs. Since scholars were able to read Greek, they could easily work backwards to figure out the Egyptian ancient texts. It is a fascinating object and gives a vivid reflection of the past.
If you love chess, then this next exhibit is for you- the Lewis Chessmen set! In 1831, a horde of chess pieces, made of ivory were found in the Scottish island of Lewis. These date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, in Norway. Not only is it one of the oldest chess sets in the world, but also is notably one of the earliest to have pieces of the Queen and bishop. It is truly fascinating, and gives us insights into the history of chess!
Another mind-blowing must-see is the Egyptian mummies, picked up from Egyptian pyramids. These are fascinating historical relics and give us a history of ancient Egypt.
