Enlightenment at the British Museum

Today I voyaged to the British Museum which is located in northeastern London.  This museum is home to over seven million artifacts which document cultures from all across the globe.  It was established in 1753 by Sir Hans Sloane and since that day has grown into one of the most popular sites in all of the world.

Main entrance to the British Museum

Due to the immense size of the museum, my trip to the museum was mainly focused upon the areas of ancient Egypt and Greece.  One of the most impressive parts of the entire museum was the Great Court which is the main hall of the museum.  The glass domed ceiling, with its criss-crossing pattern, and grand staircases leading up to the Reading Room were a very amazing sight.

The Great Court

My first exhibit in the museum was entitled Enlightenment and was dedicated to the different ways in which people in Britain came to understand the world during this time period.  It is located in a room that used to be known as the King's Library and features thousands of objects in bookcases lining the walls and in display cases scattered around the room. It showcased seven different topics and included insightful commentary on human discovery about each of the following areas: religion and ritual, trade and discovery, the birth of archaeology, art history, classification, the decipherment of ancient scripts and natural history.

Hercules and some of the bookcases

Next, I excitedly headed to the Ancient Egypt section. One of the most famous pieces in the entire museum was found straight ahead as I entered the gallery.  It was the Rosetta Stone!

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is very important in that it has helped to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics throughout history.  The carving on the stone is actually a council decree written about Ptolemy V. It was awe-inspiring to see this stone tablet in person because of its historical magnitude. 

Here are some pictures of my other favorite pieces in the Egyptian section:

Gayer-Anderson Cat

After soaking in as much of ancient Egypt as possible, I moved onto the exhibits about Greece. One of the most prominently displayed objects in this area was Lely's Venus, a statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite bathing.

Lely's Venus

Moving on, I entered an exhibit dedicated to the Hellenistic World, the time period during which Alexander the Great ruled.  It was very interesting to see the impact that history had upon the art and culture of the time. The Mausoleum at Halikarnossos display showed many pieces of what once would have been a magnificent site to see.  This tomb at its height featured many different sculptures on over six different levels of platforms and pillars.

A piece of the preserved Mausoleum of Halikarnossos

Continuing, I saw the Nereid Monument which is the largest and finest of the Lykian tombs found at Xanthos in southwestern Turkey. The scale of this reconstruction of this site was stunning.

The most controversial of the pieces contained within this museum's walls is the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon.  Many people feel that it is wrong for the British Museum to keep these artifacts and that they should be returned to their country of origin.  The other side of the argument is that if it were not for the British Museum's efforts to maintain and protect these artifacts they would not still exist today. No matter which side of the argument you are on, it sure is awesome to get to see these artifacts.  The exhibit was very well organized and did a great job of illustrating what the Parthenon looked like.

Parthenon Exhibit Hall

Preserved exterior pieces of the Parthenon representing over 60 men on horseback

Sculptures from the Parthenon

I concluded my trip to museum with a stop in the continued Egyptian display on the upper floors.  This part of the museum featured many sarcophagi and mummies.  The sheer quantity and quality of pieces in this area was remarkable.  There were so many pieces that were hundreds of years old and still looked to be in great shape.

After a relaxed bite to eat in the cafe in the Great Court, I left the museum to walk through central London.  My main point of destination was St. James's Park, because I had heard that the flowers, blooming trees, and birds were the epitome of springtime in London. My walk which led me through the park's center and along the pond was filled with some of the most beautiful flowerbeds I have ever seen!  I must say, the stereotype that the British are great gardeners was definitely confirmed. Overall, this peaceful Saturday gave me a chance to relax and enjoy all that spring in London has to offer.