Interesting Facts about the British Museum
A trip to London will be one of the dream come true moments for most travelers. Note that you cannot wrap up your London tour without exploring any of the significant museums or art galleries here. Arguably, the best museum in London, indeed the world, is the British Museum with an inimitable collection of around 8 million objects on the display. So, it is better to plan a British museum tour on your London trip to make it an exciting affair. To add to your British museum tours, some of the interesting facts about the exhibits here are given below.
Parthenon Marbles
The classical Greek sculptures displayed in Room 18 on the ground floor of the museum are one of the important highlights here. It is reported that these Greek sculptures were a part of an ancient Parthenon. Note that Parthenon refers to a 2500-year old temple that is dedicated to the Greek goddess, Athena. These marbles were brought to the United Kingdom from Greece by Lord Elgin in the 18th century. This captivating Greek sculptures that were made under the guidance of the Greek sculptor, Phidias, include a 75-meter frieze that highlights the battle between the Centaurs and the Lapiths.
Controversy at the British Museum
Two of the significant exhibits in the museums that contributed to a lot of controversies are the Rosetta stone and Parthenon Marbles. On a related note, both these exhibits were removed from their original country in the 18th and 19th centuries during the expansion of the British Empire. The Greek government had requested the British government to return their Parthenon stones. However, their request was denied on the grounds that the museum is entitled to preserve and research on the artifacts and antiquities in the world. In fact, there are many collections in this museum that are removed from their place of origin.
Egyptian Mummies
Located in Rooms 62 and 63 on the upper floor of the museum, you can see some of the ancient Egyptian exhibits. Do you know that the British Museum boast a collection of more than 140 Egyptian mummies and coffins? However, only a few of them are exhibited on the display because of space and preservation restrictions. One of the most popular attractions here is the wooden coffin of Pharaoh NubkheperreIntef who was the empire of Egypt during the 17th dynasty. You will be amazed to know that this coffin is 3500 years old. Without any doubts, exploring the British Museum will be a great option for all the history buffs and architecture enthusiasts out there.