| Best London Travel Deals | Sponsored Links |
London Hotels
Get Our Best Price Guarantee on All Hotels in London at Expedia. London Hotels
Up to 70% Off London Hotels. Prices Include Breakfast & Taxes! Luxury London Hotels
Enjoy luxury in the heart of London Six great locations to chose from!
| British Museum tips and photos posted by real travelers and London locals.
Great Russell Street, WC1
• 465 Photos
• 284 Reviews
See all London Things To Do |
 | London British Museum Reviews | 1 - 10 of 284 |  |
There are always some exhibitions going on at The British Museum, some of them are permanent exhibitions and others no, however, still very interesting to see.
One of my favourites is the Great Court and Circle Library, as the Entrance at the Museum..... hmmmm I can stay hours and hours there, watching and enlightening myself. [See picture :-)
Also, there is one piece of Art I really like in the Egypt section.... The Rosetta Stone! If you come to London and to the British Museum, do not miss it! is amazing!
The Rosetta Stone data from the Fort St Julien, el-Rashid (Rosetta), Egypt
Ptolemaic Period, 196 BC.
It is a valuable key to the decipherment of hieroglyphs.
The inscription on the Rosetta Stone is a decree passed by a council of priests, one of a series that affirm the royal cult of the
13-year-old Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation.
The decree is inscribed on the stone three times, in hieroglyphic (suitable for a priestly decree), demotic (the native script used for daily purposes), and Greek (the language of the administration).
The importance of this to Egyptology is immense. Soon after the end of the fourth century AD the knowledge of how to read and write them disappeared. In the early years of the nineteenth century, some 1400 years later, scholars were able to use the Greek inscription on this stone as the key to decipher them. Thomas Young, an English physicist, was the first to show that some of the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone wrote the sounds of a royal name, that of Ptolemy. The French scholar Jean-Fran?ois Champollion then realized that hieroglyphs recorded the sound of the Egyptian language and laid the foundations of our knowledge of ancient Egyptian language and culture.
Height: 114.4 cm (max.)
Width: 72.3 cm
Thickness: 27.9 cm Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
Visiting London?
Read reviews about London Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
You could spend a day here and still come away wishing you had seen more! Despite the name, this isn’t a museum about Britain – the collections include artefacts from all over the world (including controversially some that people feel should have stayed where they were, such as the Elgin Marbles from the Acropolis), and span 2 million years of history.
Some highlights:
~ From Ancient Egypt (one of my favourite collections): statuary & decorated architecture, inscribed with hieroglyphs; coffins & mummies of individuals; furniture, fine jewellery & other burial goods.
~ From Imperial China: calligraphy, paintings & ceramics (and in 2008 there will be an exhibition featuring some of the Terracotta Army from Xian)
~ From Anglo-Saxon: one of the most impressive collections, the treasures from the ship burial at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk.
~ From the Aztecs: stone & ceramic sculptures; musical instruments such as drums, decorated with intricate carvings; rare turquoise mosaics.
~ From Iron Age Britain: one of the items that has fascinated me since I first saw it, Lindow Man. This is the body of a man discovered in August 1984 when workmen were cutting peat at Lindow Moss bog in NW England. The conditions in the peat bog meant that the man’s skin, hair and many of his internal organs are well preserved, and scientists have been able to do lots of research to learn about his life and death, concluding that he was probably the victim of a ritual sacrifice by druids.
Do open up my 2nd photo to see a view of the museum few people will get – the stunning green glass roof photographed from above. This is part of the wonderful view I enjoy from my office window :)
Admission is free, as it is to all the major museums in London. Open every day 10.00-17.30, and later on Thursdays and Fridays. Phone: 0 20 7323 8299Directions: Nearest tube is Holborn (Central & Piccadilly lines) – the museum is signposted from the station. It’s also an easy walk from Russell Square (Piccadilly line), Tottenham Court Road (Central line) & Goodge Street (Northern line)Website: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
|
| | |
There has been a campaign to return what are known as the 'Elgin Marbles' to Athens since about the 1940's when an MP asked about it in the House of Commons.
Despite Greece's valiant efforts in wartime, which returning the marbles would have given recognition to, the request was refused.
The 'marbles' are in fact the stone friezes that once surrounded the inside of the Pathernon building in Athens. The Greeks refer to them as the 'Parthenon marbles' and are constructing a large museum in Athens in which they can be viewed - one day.
Despite a determined push to return them before the 2004 Olympics the British Museum still has it's most prized possession still firmly fixed to it's walls.
Lord Elgin himself purchased the stonework at the beginning of the 19th century from a Turkish Sultanate who ruled Athens at the time. Recent evidence has come to light that that the 'charms' of his wife may have had something to do with the Sultan's decision as well. Elgin tried to sell the marbles to the British Government, and after a period where the marbles were stored in Elgins coalshed, they were purchased for the nation.
The main problem with returning the marbles is that it will set a precedent, which may mean many famous museums could lose almost all their entire stock !
In the words of Byron :
Dull is the eye that will not weep to see
Thy walls defaced, thy mouldering shrines removed
By British hands, which it had best behoved
To guard those relics ne'er to be restored.
Curst be the hour when from their isle they roved,
And once again thy hapless bosom gored,
And snatch'd thy shrinking gods to northern climes abhorred!
"Childe Harold" Leave a Comment
|
| | |
If you have read my Easter Island pages, you will already know I am a big fan of the Island and the stone heads (Moai) that you can find there.
This statue, 'Hoa-haka-nanaiai' (no, I'm not going to pronounce it!) was discovered at Orongo. It had been buried under rising soil levels. In 1868, the British Mar of War H.M.S. Topaz (His/Her Majesties Ship) stopped at Easter Island and removed two Moai. These apparently are both currently in the British Museum although only this one is on display.
This statue was taken for two reasons. One being that it is relatively small (i.e. much easier to carry), the other being that it has very ornate carvings on the back.
Two hundred people were needed to help move this Moai from Orongo (the ceremonial village) onto the ship. Unfortunately, During the voyage to England, the red and white paint on the Moai was washed off by the water spray from the voyage. Once it arrived in the UK it was given to Queen Victoria, who later gave it to the British Museum.
This statue is supposed to have been made around 1000 AD and is extremely well preserved. It is likely that this moai was carved during the dark ages of Easter Island. This was when the naives had cut down all the trees and were effectively stranded on the island. At this point in time, they stopped building Moai, as they no longer had the ability to move them without wood, and started the Birdman-cult. This theory is specified as there is a birdman carved on the back of the Moai. It is possible however that this was carved on to it later.
I have to admit that whilst the statue is in extremely good condition (preservation wise) which is nice to see as the statues you see on Easter Island are more worn by the high winds they get there. It is a bit of a shame to see one standing so out of context inside the British Museum. I was greatly looking forward to seeing it, but felt little satisfaction once I had. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
The Rosetta Stone is probably one of the most famous pieces in the British Museum. It is an old stone that was found in Egypt in 1799 by some French Soldiers, although it is much much older than this. Apparently it dates back to 196 BC.
The reason it is considered so special is that it is entirely covered in writing, but more importantly than this, it is writen in two languages (Egyptian and Greek), and uses three different scripts (hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek). The reason 3 scripts were used was because one was used for religious and official documents, one was used for the common people, and one was used for the rulers. By using all 3 and repeating the message in each, it was legible to all people who could read in Egypt.
The stone helped scholars decipher heiroglyphics which had always been impossible to read. By reading the two scripts they did understand, they could start deciphering the heiroglyphics.
BTW, apologies for the strange lighting at the bottom of the photo, kids had been wiping their greasy fingers on the glass and this was reflecting the light. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Visiting London?
Read reviews about London Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Almost as soon as you go through the front entrance of the British Museum, you will find yourself in the Great Court.
This is a very new addition to the British Museum, having been built for the year 2000 celebrations by Norman Foster. There is something of the Louvre Pyramid (in Paris France) about it. In the middle of this court is a world famous reading room, with shops selling iitems related to the muesum around the outside of the reading room.
If you want to get a good picture, just before you go into the Great Hall, go up the staircase to the left, and once you get up to the first floor, look out for a little opening looking down on to the hall. It's stops people getting in the way of your shot.
If I remember correctly, before this great court was built, there was just a big open courtyard which was open air, so you had to go into this to move between different sections of the museum. These days, the Great Hall makes a great focal point. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
The British Museum is particularly well known in Greece. This is because the British Museum contains quite a lot of marble pieces from Greece, and in particular the Elgin Marbles (named after Lord Elgin who "collected" them). The Greeks want these back, but this would cause a bit of a dilemma to the British Museum. Should the repatriate them to Greece, the whole museum would probably empty as every foreign piece (which is most of the museum) was reclaimed.
Anyhow the Elgin Marbles are displayed as part of a large display, but to be quite honest, my favourite piece was in the room next door, and is called the Nereid Monument. This can be seen in my picture below.
The Nereid Monument is a tomb and it was built around 380 BC by the Greeks, for a king of the Lycia region (this is in south-west Anatolia - which is in present day Turkey). The monument itself looks like a Greek temple and stands on a large podium. Both the podium and the monument are very well decorated with sculpture. The monument has some impressive mable freizes on it.
Inbetween the columns are several statues of women, (they are referred to as Nereids) - hence the monuments name. The Nereid Monument has been in the British Museum since the middle of the 19th century. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
The British Museum lays claim to being the Worlds Oldest Public Museum. It has an outstanding collection of items inside from all over the world (some of these are now claimed by the countries they originally came from - The Elgin Marbles from Athens in Greece being a notable example).
The museum was established in 1753 so is well over 250 years old. The main building you see is newer being built between 1823-1850. For the millennium celebrations, a Great Court was added by Norman Foster, and this is worth seeing in its own right.
Notable exhibits amongst many are Egyptian Mummies, Greek Marbles, a Peat Bog Man, and a stone head from Easter Island.
This picture shows the main entrance from Great Russell Street.
Oh, and the good news is that the British museum is completely free to enter, although they do ask that you make a voluntary contribution, this is entirely optional. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
This is one of the world's oldest and most famous museums. Dating back to 1753, it houses a large collection of artefacts of human history. Famous collections and artefacts include the Rosetta Stone (which enabled to decipher the egyptian hieroglyphics), its central asian and egyptian collections, the Elgin/Parthenon marbles and the Benin Bronzes. Although the latter two are among the most disputed collections, they attract thousands of visitors every day. Beside that, you will find special exhibtions - I visited one about death and afterlife in different cultures. The reading room in the center of the building was once a center of culture and wisdom used by many historical persons such as Marx, Gandhi and Wells. It lost its function after the big collection of books was moved to the new British Library building but still retains a small collection. The building dates from the mid-19th century and was built in neoclassical style. In 2000, larger reconstruction works were made including the glass dome and the center court of the museum, designed by Sir Norman Foster (Gherkin, Millenium Bridge, Stansted Terminal, ...).
Please check out my tips regarding egyptian and mesopotamian cultures in the British Museum for further details on this.
If you want to see everything in the museum, plan several days. Even if you are able to process so much input in such a short time, the collection is too large. For the highlights, plan half a day. Audioguides with different itineraries through the museum are offered. Phtography is permitted in the museum, but may be prohibited on some objects or galleries. The prices in the cafés are quite high, even for London standarts. Entry is free, but there is an admission charge for some special exhibitions and events. The building opens at 9:00, but most galleries are not accesable until 10:00 (as of April 2006). For further details, please check out the website given below. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
This is Ginger. Found within the British Museum's Egypt collection, he is apparently the earliest mummified person, though he was not preserved by the typical ancient Egyptian technique (which consisted of removing the individuals organs, drying out the body and filling them with perfumes and ointments before wrapping them in paper). Instead he was simply buried in the hot desert sand with stones placed above him. Because of the conditions, his body dried to a point where bacteria could not eat away at his muscles or skin, so most of his flesh remains intact, albeit in a rather crispy brown form.
Oh and if you're wondering why he's called "Ginger," well it's because he has red hair! :D Leave a Comment
|
More London Tips Overview
| Hotels and Accommodations
Tips: 1,753 - Photos: 1,436 | Things To Do
Tips: 9,435 - Photos: 12,913 | Nightlife
Tips: 1,376 - Photos: 1,144 | Transportation
Tips: 1,987 - Photos: 1,556 | Restaurants
Tips: 2,910 - Photos: 3,223 | Shopping
Tips: 1,041 - Photos: 1,147 | Off the Beaten Path
Tips: 1,597 - Photos: 2,020 | Tourist Traps
Tips: 504 - Photos: 350 | Warnings or Dangers
Tips: 705 - Photos: 408 | Local Customs
Tips: 723 - Photos: 657 | Packing Lists
Tips: 293 - Photos: 126 | Sports Travel
Tips: 227 - Photos: 339 | General Tips
Tips: 2,321 - Photos: 2,266 | Flights
Tips: 165 - Photos: 0 |
 |
|
- Somerset Bayswater
42 Princes Square Notting Hill, London - Arriva Hotel
55 Swinton Street Kings Cross, London - Somerset Hotel (6 Dorset Square Marylebone )
6-7 Dorset Square, London - The Westbury Mayfair
Bond Street Mayfair, London - Crestfield Hotel
3-4 Crestfield Street, London - Marriott London Regents Park
128 King Henry's Road, London - Fraser Place Queens Gate
39B Queen's Gate Gardens, London - The Lonsdale
9-10 Bedford Place Bloomsbury, London - InterContinental Intercontinental London
One Hamilton Place Hyde Park Corner, London - Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt Hotel
68-86 Cromwell Road Kensington, London - Searcys Roof Garden Rooms
30 Pavilion Road, London - Saint Gregory Hotel
100 Shoreditch High St, London - Days Hotel London Gateway
M1 Between Jct 2-4 Gateway Services, London - Sunborn Yacht Hotel
Royal Victoria Dock ExCel, London - The White Hall Hotel
2-5 Montague St Russell Square, London
|
on May 21, 2004
on June 23, 2007
on March 27, 2006
on February 16, 2005
on May 22, 2006
on February 7, 2005
