British Museum of the Egyptian Hall. British Museum: photos and tourist reviews

17.07.2019

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Address: United Kingdom, London, Bloomsbury district, Great Russell Street
Museum Creation Date: 1753 year
Opening of the museum: August 10, 1759
Second attendance Art Museum of Peace
Coordinates: 51 ° 31 "10.0" N 0 ° 07 "36.8" W

London, the capital of Great Britain, is rich in attractions in it. And one of them is the British Museum.

The museum was founded at the end of the 18th century, or rather, in 1753 the Parliament of the Empire. It is the central historical and archaeological museum of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The museum's exposition includes 94 galleries that stretched 4 km.

British Museum with Bird's Height

As for the sources of museum exhibits, they served as a collection of three outstanding and well-known Britons: Dr. Hans Sloena, Aristocrat Robert Harley, which at that time, the status of the graph, as well as Robert Cotton, which is famous antiquarian. A considerable number of last books served as a bridgehead to create a famous British library.

Initially, the museum was located in the mansion of the Aristocrats of Montaggy House near the capital of the British Empire and was closed for visits. The museum doors opened for wide masses only 6 years after creation, in 1759. Since then, he became more and more rich in a variety of exhibits collected around the world.

Main entrance to the museum

Antique vases, marbles, rare and valuable minerals, invaluable works of art of ancient Greece were delivered. The most striking exhibits are the works of Parthenon and other values \u200b\u200bof history from the collections of Greville, Townli, Eldzhina, Hamilton, etc.

However, not all the exhibits of the museum were obtained by a peaceful and legal way in the modern understanding of these words. Britain, like a colonial empire, exported valuable artifacts from their dominions. Such states as Egypt and Greece are asked to return to them the exhibits that were taken back during the times of colonialism, so far.

Big Courtyard Queen Elizabeth II

The 19th century became the peak of the development of the British Museum. It was at this time that due to a variety and a large number of exhibits had to divide the museum to the departments. The whole collection of the museum was no longer placed in the building, so many departments were transported to another place, and in 1847, Montaggy House was demolished. Instead, a new building was built, using classicism style. The construction was led by Robert Smurch, which is the repository of museum artifacts to this day. Due to the conduct of effective excavations in Mesopotamia in the 20th century, the collection of the British Museum was replenished with a mass of new exhibits of the Middle East.

Reading Hall of the Library of the British Museum

Currently, the museum often hosts excursions, which originate in the library of Paul Hemlin. It is popular among children. On Sundays, a meeting of the club under the name "Young Friends of the British Museum" is held. Also in the museum building is often held events that received the names of "Nights in the Museum", in which visitors remain in it for the night and participate in the thematic representation aimed at immersion in a certain culture (for example, "Japanese Night").

MOAI from Easter Island

Despite the fact that the museum belongs to the British, there are exhibits from all over the world, which were once submitted by the British Colonial Empire. For example, the collection of Egyptian values \u200b\u200boccupies the most museum space (92 meters long and several large halls). It is considered one of the world's largest collections and includes such rarity as the granite head of the ruler of Egypt Tutmes III, the invaluable sculpture of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, also stone sarcophages and several copies of the famous "Book of Dead".

Expositions of the British Museum:

Facade of the temple of nonreide

Greco-Roman exposition

It ranks 12 halls in the British Museum and consists of numerous monuments of the existence of the Roman Empire and Greek democracy. The most vivid representatives: Lycian sculptures, residues from the ruins of the famous Temple of Diana from Ephesus, such works of art as Phigalion Marbles, examples of luxury items of the Roman Empire, in particular the values \u200b\u200bof its rulers. In 1872, an invaluable collection of antiquity era on the name Castellani Collection appeared in the museum, thanks to which this department became one of the largest museum departments in the world.

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Art Department of Ancient Greece and Rome

Egyptian exposition

As mentioned above, this is one of the largest collections of the Artifacts of the country of Pharaoh. Most exhibits of this collection are marked with a period of 3,000 years BC. up to 7th century AD An important part in the Egyptian exposition is occupied by invaluable ancient letters on a papyrus. Among them are the chronicles, works of literature, a variety of pagan myths and other valuable historical documents that have survived to the present day.

The bas-reliefs of the Ancient East

Department of Antiquities in the region of Front Asia

This department contains very interesting and rare exhibits. There are a number of such priceless things as cylindrical seals Ch. Townli and U. Hamilton, a collection of historical monuments collected by researchers R. Kerr Porter and K. J. Rich. These scientists specialized in the ancient history of Persia and Mesopotamia. The sources of many exhibits of this department are the excavations of Ninevenes, the ancient Assyrian capital, the study of the Eastern Mediterranean and the famous Hittte culture.

Department of East

This department of the British Museum is rich in sculptures, ceramics, various engravings and unique examples of painting of the Far East. Here you can find bronze statues of Buddha, ritual vessels of ancient China, bronze products, hieroglyphic letters of age in 4000 years and other values \u200b\u200bof the Ancient East.

Not deprived by the attention of the Creators of the Museum and Britain under the authority of the Romans. Many monuments of Celtic culture and all subsequent nationalities inhabited by the British Islands, examples of medieval temple construction and jewelry widespread these periods of history, which in one time the United Kingdom has passed.

The museum also contains less voluminous, but also meaningful and valuable departments.

Hall of Ancient Egypt

The British Museum has a huge collection of coins and valuable medals, which are a find for any numismat. It consists of 200 thousand copies, some of which are dated to the 7th century BC. e. There are in the museum and modern coins.

The ethnography department collected the objects of the life of peoples opened for Europeans by the navigators James Cup and Christopher Columbus. This is the African, American and Australian population.

The collection of the most valuable engravings and drawings can be compared with the wealth of the Louvre. Here are the works of such creators as Verrocko, Durer, Rafael, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Gainesboro and other creators.

Quote communication British Museum in London / British Museum. London.

British Museum in London / British Museum. London.

British Museum (Eng. The British Museum)- The main historical and archaeological museum of the British Empire (now - Great Britain) and one of the largest museums of the world, the second on attendance, among artistic museums, after the Louvre.

Located in the Bloomsbury district, London.

British museumwas created in 1753 on the basis of three collections - Collections of the famous British doctor and naturalist Hans Sloena, Collections of graph Robert Harleyas well as antiquary libraries Robert Cottonwhich became the basis of the British Library.

First Baronet, President Scientific Society Hans SloneAs being a passionate collector, gathered a lot of different matters of natural origin, which later became invaluable rarities of the British Museum.

Antiquarian and biblioman Robert CottonI gathered a large number of manuscripts and books, a weighty contribution to the creation of museum funds was made: the collection of his manuscripts was the basis of a whole department that was subsequently held by the British Library.

Oxford graph, politician, public figure Robert Harleywho was friends with the Swift and Pupoise, pleaseed the interest in the ancient books and manuscripts. All my life, he was a passionate collector of book rainets transferred to the museum and significantly replenished his funds.

The names of these public figures are holy by the British; Their biographies are studied in schools and universities, they are dedicated to the special sections of museum expositions.

The courtyard of the British Museum, blocked by a mesh shell

First, the museum is located in montagus's mansion in the Bloomsbury districtBut I began to quickly replenished with new exhibits, which have already been closely the framework of one building. In the years of the Victorian government, a colossal classical building was built, in which the museum is now located.

Expositions of the British Museum

Artifacts of ancient Egypt

During the Napoleonic campaign to Egypt (1798) during the earthworks, during the construction of Fort, the engineer Bushar discovered the granite slab with inscribed on it. Nakhodka was sent to Cairo, where scientists took up the study of texts and realized that they deal with the object II of the century BC. e.

Rosett stonein the exposure showcase

Statues of Pharaoh Ramses II, Amonofis III, Sarcophag Mummy Cleopatra - the most valuable exhibits about which many museums of the world are generously stored here, are restored by the most experienced and talented masters (in the state of the Museum 50 Restorers).

Unique Artifact - AMARANA Archive, giving valuable historical information: 95 plates of clay containing the diplomatic pharaoh correspondence for 1350 years BC. e. and giving a reliable picture of the life of those years.

Greece and Rome

The department, which has more than 100 thousand ancient Greek and ancient Roman exhibits, reflecting a large period of development of two civilizations. Here are invaluable rarities - testimonies of the Cycladic, Minoan, the Mycenaean cultures of the ancient Ellinov

True treasures are:

the rarest sculptures adorned by Athenian Parthenon
part of the column of the temple Erehechteion
the figures of the king of Maulzole and the queen of Artemisia
details of the sculpture of a horse from Galicarnas Mausoleum
etruscan Sarcophag 2 V. BC e. other

Of great interest are prehistoric golden decoration (brooch), the Roman sword with the sheath; Fris, depicting the scenes of the Amazon War with the Greeks.

Ancient Greek clasp

Near East

One of the most numerous expositions of the museum is represented by more than 330 thousand exhibits illustrating the development of ancient civilizations, ranging from Mesopotamia and ending with the chief. The funds of this department were actively replenished in the first half of the 19th century, when expeditions of English archaeologists began to organize in Iraq (Mesopotamia, Babylon, Assyria, Sumer), Turkey (Charkemic).

During the excavations, thousands of objects of culture, life, ancient writing, richest treasures with jewels (Amourdarya treasure) were discovered.

The art of ancient Islam is represented by 40 thousand exhibits: products from the finest ceramics, glass, bronze, silver and gold are exhibited in 13 galleries, where 4500 items are simultaneously exhibited.

The values \u200b\u200bof incredit world significance include:

basanery decorations of the Assyrian Palace of Horasabad
fragments of the Balavat gate from the fortress of Assyria, which show the scenes of the royal life
gold and Silver Decorations of the Ahmedinsky Kingdom (current Tajikistan)
sculptures depicting lions with human heads
clay plate with text narrated by the World Flood

All treasures, including statues, obeliski, bas-reliefs, board games, musical instruments, signs with clocks, not count. To see the sorty even their small part, you need to repeatedly come to the British Museum.

Ancient story and europe

Exposures representing items related to the oldest epochs of human development (more than 2 million years ago) and real evidence of European history, and the funds of the exhibits of the early Middle Ages in Europe are the richest in the world.

Among items there are genuine prehistoric and historical jewelry values:

gold Cup (Ringlemer, 8-16 V.V. BC.)
necklace of gold (Sintra, Portugal, (10-8 century. V. BC)
silver products (Spain, 100 years BC. e.)
tetford treasure - silver and gold products (4 in. AD)
golden jewelry from the Sutton-Hu, found in the burial crypts 4-7 V.V. n. e. On the territory of England
golden Cup of the Royal Family France 14th century
cancer of gold, decorated with a set of precious stones for storing a sacred relic - a thorns crown

There are real masterpieces of the art of the carving of ivory: Triptykhs Byzantine masters, British Grandison; 78 chess figures cut from fades of a walrus (Scotland) indicate a high degree of skill and artistic talent of cutters. The amazing beauty of porcelain dishes with magnificent patterns and plot patterns are exhibited in glass windows.

Crystal Skull

Chess from Lewis Island

The history of the museum

The museum was based on the will of the physician and naturalist Sir Hans Slaoana (1660-1753). For his life, he collected an extensive collection (more than 71 thousand items) and, not wanting, so that after his death it was divided, bequeathed her King Georg II.

June 7, 1753 George II signed the Act of Parliament on the creation of the British Museum. The Cotton Library and the Harley Library were added about the basis for the slacan collection. In 1757, the royal library was added to them and also the right to receive an instance of any book published in Britain. In these four first collections of the museum contained real treasures of British literature, including the only surviving copy of the Beowulf medieval epos.

The British Museum was a forerunner of a new type of museums for a number of reasons: he did not belong to the crown, nor the church, the entrance to it was free, and he tried to cover all the variety of human culture in his collections.

Montague House

Initially, the museum was located in Montague House, mansion of the XVII century, bought under the museum. Interestingly, the Board of Trustees of the Museum rejected the option with the placement of collections in Buckingham House, today called the Buckingham Palace, for the cause of high cost and inconvenient location.

The opening of the museum for the public took place on January 15, 1759. From the first years of the existence of the museum of its collection was constantly replenished at the expense of gifts, donations and purchase of private assembly. So, the wealth of the museum in the 1760-1770s replenished the collection of treatises of the Civil War (1640s), the play of the XVI-XVII centuries and the collection of Greek VAZ. Since 1778, a variety of items collected by the captain of Cup in its world travel are set in the museum. In 1784, V. Hamilton, the British ambassador to Naples, sold his museum to his collection of Greek and Roman antiquities. At the beginning of the XIX century, the museum actively expands its collections of ancient Egyptian and ancient art. So, in 1802, the famous Rosett stone was represented in it, thanks to which it was possible to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphic, and in 1818, the foundation was laid in the collection of the collection of monumental sculpture of ancient Egypt to the collection of Pharaoh Ramses II. In 1816, the Museum bought at Thomas Bruce (Ambassador of Britain in the Ottoman Empire in 1799-1803) a large collection of antique marble sculptures from Athenian Parfenon. In 1825, collections of Assyrian and Babylonian art appeared in the museum.

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The British Museum Foundations grew so quickly that by the end of the 18th century, Montagy House became too close for storage, therefore, in 1823, work began on the construction of a more spacious building on the place of the old. It was assumed that the new building would also contain a picture gallery, but after discovery in 1824 in London, there was no need for this, and empty premises were given under the collection of natural history.

Since 1840, the museum organizes or finances archaeological expeditions in different parts of the world: on the island of Xantos, in Licks, Galicarneas, on the ruins of the ancient cities of Nerodia and Ninevei. Finds made by expeditions replenish the museum funds, sometimes based on whole areas of scientific research. Thus, the detection of a huge clinox library of the Assyrian Tsar Ashurbanipal made the British Museum by one of the world's Assyrology centers.

From the middle of the XIX century, the museum begins to expand from the subject of art of medieval Britain and Europe and at the expense of ethnographic materials from all over the world. The museum funds are replenished very quickly, and in 1887, due to the constant lack of premises, natural-historical collections were moved to the Natural History Museum. But this did not solve the problem, so in the 1895 the Board of Trustees of the Museum bought 69 buildings around it in order to expand expositions. Works began in 1906.

In 1918, in connection with the threat of bombing, some of the subjects from the museum was evacuated in several secure places. When these items returned to the museum, it turned out that some of them were spoiled. For their restoration, a temporary restoration laboratory was created, since 1931, working on a permanent basis. In 1923, the number of visitors to the museum first reached one million.

In 1939, due to the threat of war, the most valuable collections of the museum were re-evacuated, and, as it turned out, a very timely timely, since in 1940, one of the Gallery of the Museum (Gallery Duvin) was seriously injured during one of the Luftwaffe Hall.

In 1953, the museum celebrated his two hundredth anniversary. In subsequent years, its popularity among visitors has not decreased: in 1972, for example, the exhibition "Tutanyhamon" was visited by about 1.7 million people. In the same 1972, the decision of the Parliament was decided to create a separate structure on the basis of the British Museum's book assemblies - the British Library. However, the books began to export from the museum only in 1997. Freeing some place, it became possible to redo the square yard in the center of the library into the covered gallery, the largest in Europe - opened in 2000.

Today, the museum, although he lost the library and collections of natural science orientation, is still one of the largest museums of the world - its total area is 92 thousand m², more than 13 million items are stored in the funds. The museum also has the world largest online database of its exhibits, which contains more than 2 million records, 650 thousand of them with illustrations. About 4 thousand exhibits from this database are accompanied by deployed descriptions. The museum also provides free access to multiple research directories and Internet logs.

Expositions of the British Museum

Items from the Collections of the British Museum are placed in 100 galleries. In most of them, the exhibits are selected in the territorial-chronological principle, but there are both thematic exhibitions, as well as a collection presented by the Museum by the Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, the exhibits of which are exhibited in a separate gallery according to the will of the donor. The Museum also regularly hosts guest exhibitions, the inspection of which is paid, in contrast to the permanent expositions of the museum. All Museum Funds are organized in several departments.

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The museum keeps the largest and most comprehensive collection of Egyptian antiquities after the meeting of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Covering the time interval from the X millennium BC. e. until the XII century n. e. And all parties to the life of Egyptian civilization, the collection of the British Museum is the most important world center of Egyptology.

The beginning of the Egyptian department of the museum was laid during its foundation - there were 160 items from Egypt in the collection of Sloan. After the defeat of Napoleon in Egypt (1801), the values \u200b\u200bcollected by the French during their Egyptian campaign (among them the famous rosett stone) were captured by the British army and soon replenished the foundations of the museum. Until the end of the 19th century, the collection of the department was replenished mainly at the expense of purchases, but after the start of the Foundation of the Egypt's research in the fund's funds, the items found during the excavations were flowed. In 1924, they already consisted of 57 thousand exhibits. For almost the entire XX century, there has been no legislation that prohibits the export of archaeological finds in Egypt, the collection has expanded. Today there are about 110 thousand items in it.

Seven permanent Egyptian galleries, including the largest gallery No. 4, can accommodate only 4% of the items of the collection to display. On the gallery of the second floor, a collection of 140 mummies and coffins is exhibited, the largest in the world after Cairo. This is one of the most popular museum expositions. The valuable exhibits of the collection include:

AMARNAYA Archive (or Amarn Correspondence) - 95 of 382 clay plates containing a diplomatic correspondence recorded by Clinons between the Pharaohs and their representatives in Palestine and Syria (about 1350 to N. e.). The most valuable source on the history of the Middle East.

Rosett stone (196 BC) - Stela with the text of the Decision of the Tsar Ptolemy V. The huge historical value of the stone is that the text of the decree is carved in three versions: ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, a demotic letter (Egyptian spell) and ancient Greek . It gave the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic.

"Pallet with the battle" (other names - "Pallet with griffs", "Pallet with giraffes", "Pallet with lions") - stone plates (end IV thousand to n. E.), Containing the most ancient known images of hostilities, and Also pictograms considered precursors of hieroglyphs.

Of interest are of interest:

bust Pharaoh Ramses II (about 1250 BC. er);
the royal list from the Ramses II temple (about 1250 BC. er);
granite statue of SENUSERT III (about 1850 BC);
Mummy Cleopatra from PhiV (100 years old e.);
obelisk Pharaoh nectanebo II (360-343 BC. E.);
cat Gayer-Anderson (VII-IV century BC. E.) - Bronze sculpture of the goddess Bastet in the image of the cat. The exhibit is named after the donor.
the sculptural images of Pharaoh Amenhotep III are a huge limestone bust, a statue and a separate head of red granite (approx. 1350 BC);

The British Museum stores one of the world's largest collections in the world of Greek and Roman antiquities (more than 100 thousand items), covering the period from the beginning of the Bronze Age in Greece (about 3200 BC) to the Board of the Roman Emperor Constantine I (the beginning of the IV century N. er).

The collection of ancient Greek artifacts also covers the Cycladic, Minoan and Mycean Cultures. The most valuable exhibits are sculptures from the Temple of Parfenon in Athens and the details of two wonders of the world - Mausoleum in Galicarneas and the temple of Artemis Ephesus. The department is a storage location for one of the most important collections of Italy and Etruscan art. To other, the most valuable exhibits of the department include:

objects from the Athenian Acropolis (sculptures and friezes from the Temple of Parthenon, one of the surviving karyatid (female figures) and a column from the Temple of Erehechteion, Friezes from the temple of Nicky Aptereros);
sculptures from the temple of Apollo epicurean in Bassakh - 23 details of the frieze of the temple;
details of the Mausoleum in Galicarneas (two huge figures depicting, presumably, Tsar Mausola and his wife Artemia;
part of the sculpture of the horse from the chariot, crowned by the mausoleum;
fris with the image of the scenes of Amazonacia - war Greeks and Amazons);
brooch from the bragings - the golden decoration-fibula (III century BC);
terracotta sarcophag of the Etruscan aristocrat of Seyanization Hanuni Tlesnasi (II century BC. er);
gladius from Mainz - Roman Sword and sheath (beginning of the first century n. e.)

The collection of this department, numbering 330 thousand exhibits, is without doubt the largest meeting of Mesopotamian antiquities outside Iraq. The practical all civilizations and cultures of the ancient Middle East are represented in the Foundations of the Department - Mesopotamia, Persia, Arabia, Anatoly, Caucasus, Syria, Palestine, Phenicia and its Mediterranean colonies.

The Funds of the Department began to form in 1772, but they were replenished with a particularly rapid pace after the start of full archaeological expeditions on the territory of Mesopotamia (Iraq) in the middle of the XIX century. Extremely enriched the collection of the Museum of opening the ruins of palaces and archives of the Assyrian kings in Nimevia and Ninevei, excavations in Carkemis (Turkey), Babylon and Ura (Iraq). Cultures of the surrounding Mesopotamia of the countries of the Agemenid Empire (in particular, the famous Amadurian treasure), the Palmy Kingdom and Urartu are also widely represented. One of the largest collections of Islamic art is also stored (approx. 40 thousand subjects) - ceramics, objects of fine art, tiles, glass, printing, etc. From all the riches of the department's funds, only a small part - 4500 items occupying 13 galleries are exhibited.

The most valuable exhibits of the department:

Bas reliefs from the Palace of the Assyrian Tsar Sargon II in Horasabad;
Balavata Gate - Bronze details of the inbound gates of the Assyrian fortress with images of the life of the kings;
Cyliner Kira from Babylon;
Collection of bronze from Urartu;
Amadrian treasure (or town treasure) - a treasure of 180 gold and silver products of Ahemedidic time (VI-IV centuries. BC), found in the territory of the current Tajikistan.

Items from Nerod:

alebaster bas-reliefs from the palaces of the Assyrian kings of Ashurnazyrpala II, Toglatpalasar III, Asarhaddon, Adad Nirari III;
two sculptures of Lviv with human heads - Lamassu (883-859 BC. er);
a huge statue of Leo (883-859 years BC. er)
black Obelisk of Shalmanasar III (858-824 BC. E.);
statue of Ashursyrpala II;
statue Idrimi (1600 BC. er)

Items from Nineveia:

alebaster reliefs from the palaces of the Assyrian kings of Ashurbanipal and Senneterhiba with scenes of hunting and palace life, in particular, the relief of the "dying lion", which is considered a masterpiece of Assyrian art;
royal Ashurbanipal Library (22 thousand clay plates with clinox texts);
plate with the text of the myth about the global flood, which is considered part of the epic on Gilgamesh.

Finds from the Sumerian city Hurray:

"Standard of War and Mira" (approx. 2500 BC. Er) - two wooden panels of unclear destinations with the scenes of war and the world, inlaid mother-in-law;
"Baran in the bushes" (approx. 2600-2400. BC. E.) - a figurine standing on the back legs and a lean to the trunk of a ram bush. The figure is made of wood and decorated with gold, silver and lapis-azure;
"Royal Game" (approx. 2600-2400. BC. Er) - a set for a board game, one of the oldest in the world;
"Harp Queen" (approx. 2500 BC. Er) is one of the oldest string musical instruments. It has a bull shape, made of sandstone, the head of the bull is golden.

Department of Ancient History and Europe

The collection of this department includes items relating to both the oldest periods of human history (from 2 million years ago) and the history of Europe. The funds of the museum belonging to the period of the early European Middle Ages are the largest in the world. The most interesting exhibits:

Prehistoric:

"Lovers from Ain-Sahri" - a stone figure X thousand to n. e. found near Bethlehem and being the most ancient image of people who are engaged in sex;
golden Cup from Ringlemer (England, XVIII-XVI centuries. BC. e.);
golden Necklace from Sintra (Portugal, X-VIII centuries. BC. e.);
decanters from bass (France, V c. BC. e.);
cordian treasure of silver objects (Spain, approx. 100 g. BC. e.);
necklaces from Orense (Spain, Ok. 300-150. BC. E.)

Roman period in Britain:

wINDOLAND signs (wooden plates with handwritten texts of the I-II centuries n. e.);
tetford treasure (treasure from a plurality of silver and gold products IV century n. e.);
likurga Cup (IV century n. er) - Roman glass cup, whose feature is that its glass changes its color from green to red depending on the location of the light source.

Early Middle Ages:

casal from Sutton Hu (ANGY) - items (ceremonial helmets, gold jewelry, weapons) found in two burials of the 6th-VII centuries;
franksse casket - casket VIII century from whale bone, richly decorated with carvings.

Middle Ages:

chess figures from Lewis Island (Scotland) - 78 figures made of walrus (XII century);
royal Golden Cup, or Cup of St. Agnes, - Golden Cup, decorated with enamel and pearls, made for the French royal family in the XIV century;
cancer for the holy throat crown (approx. 1390s) - made of gold and richly decorated with precious stones and pearls for storing one of the main Christian relics. Belonged to the French royal house;
triptych Borradale and Triptych Verner - Byzantine Triptychs from ivory (X century);
triptych John Grandison - Triptych from Ivory (England, about 1330 g);
the staff of the bishop of Kells (IX-XI century) - a staff with a silver embodied, presumably belonging to the bishop of Kells (Ireland).

Department of Asia

The exhibits of this department are the material culture of the entire Asian continent (with the exception of the Middle East) from Neolith to this day. The most popular exhibits:

the most complete collection of sculptures from India, including Buddhist limestone bas-reliefs from Amaviti;
outstanding Assembly of Chinese Antiquities - drawings, porcelain, bronze, varnished products and jade;
collection of Buddhist paintings from Dunhuana (China) and "Scroll of Instructions" of the artist GU Kajzhi (344-406);
the most extensive collection of Japanese art in the West;
famous treasure of Buddhist gold and silver sculptures from Sambasa (Indonesia);
statue of Tara from Sri Lanka (VIII century);
buddhist vases from Kulu and Wardak;
a huge statue of Buddha Amitabhi from Ganzuya (China).

Department of Africa, Oceania and America

The British Museum has one of the most extensive collections of ethnographic material from Africa, Oceania and America, representing the life of the indigenous peoples of these parts of the world. More than 350 thousand items of this collection are talking about 2 million years of human history.

The pearls of the collection include bronze products from Benin, the wonderful bronze head of the Queen Quea, the magnificent brass head of the ruler Yoruba from IFE (Nigeria), the gold products of the Ashantinees (Ghana) and the collection of sculptures, textiles and weapons from Central Africa.

The US collection mainly consists of items of the XIX-XX centuries, but it presents both more ancient cultures of Incs, Aztecs, Maya and secrets. The museum can be seen, for example, a series of amazing Mayan door jumpers from Yashchilan (Mexico), a collection of turquoise Aztec mosaic from Mexico and a group of Zemdom Figures from Vera (Jamaica).

Department of coins and medals

The British Museum owns one of the world's largest collections of coins and medals numbering about 1 million items. Collection exhibits cover the entire history of the mintage - from the VII century to N. e. And to the present day. Museum visitors can see only 9 thousand exhibits (most of them are located in the gallery №68, the rest - in different galleries of the museum).

Department of Engravings and Drawings

The field of engraving and drawings of the British Museum is one of the largest meetings of this kind along with Albertin collections (Vienna), Louvre (Paris) and Hermitage (St. Petersburg). Today, there are about 50 thousand drawings and more than 2 million engravings and xylography of the work of outstanding European artists from the XIV century to the present day. In particular, in the museum you can see the collection of the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, one of the largest assemblies of drawings, engravings and lithographs Durera (138 drawings, 99 engravings, 6 etchings, 346 xylography), Rubens, Rembrandt, Claude, Watto and many Others. The department also stores more than 30 thousand drawings and watercolors of outstanding British artists. More than 500 thousand department exhibits are entered into an online database, many - with high-quality illustrations.

Controversial issues of the museum

In recent years, the museum has faced claims of a number of countries and organizations regarding the ownership of some art objects taken to England at different times. The museum rejects these claims on the grounds that "Restitution requirements will destitute to destroy not only the British Museum, but also any major museum in the world." In addition, the British Law on Museums of 1963 prohibits the withdrawal of any items from museum collections. To subjects, possession of which causes the most fierce disputes:

sculptures from the Temple of Parfenon, semi-easily exported by the British ambassador in the Ottoman Empire Graph Yelgin at the beginning of the XIX century. Greece requires the return of these cultural objects. They are supported by UNESCO;
bronze sculptures from the kingdom of Benin. Their return seeks Nigeria;
tabots - ritual plates with ten commandments taken from Ethiopia by the British army;
amidarian treasure (Treasure). His return is achieving Tajikistan;
Egypt demands the return of the Rosett stone;
China put forward claims with respect to more than 24 thousand scrolls, manuscripts, paintings and relics (including diamond sutra) from Mogao caves.

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The museum was created on the initiative of Sir Hans Slone (1660-1753), a famous physician, naturalist and collector. He wanted to have a collection after his death, including more than 71 thousand artifacts, a library and herbarium, remained untouched. He bequeathed her for the people, but provided that the King of George II will pay 20 thousand pounds of sterling to his heirs. Otherwise, the collection would be offered to educational centers abroad. A large and influential group of trustees was responsible for order of his property.
King This proposal was not very interested, but the British Parliament, mainly thanks to the efforts of the Speaker Arthur Oslow, decided to take such an exceptional gift. Soon the parliamentary law was adopted, which decided to establish the British Museum. On June 7, 1753, the law was sanctioned by the king.
In addition to the collection of Sir Slone, two more private collections were the basis for the formation of primary funds of the museum: a huge collection of manuscripts Policies and Antiquary Sir Robert Cotton (1571-1631), as well as a collection of manuscripts and books of the State Worker of Robert Harley, Count Oxford (1661-1724). In 1757, King George II handed over to the gift of the Museum of the so-called. "Old Royal Library", collected by British monarchs.
The Board of Trustees acquired a large mansion of the XVII century in Bloomzbury. For 20 thousand pounds of sterling owned by Montague family. Interestingly, the Council refused to buy the Duke of the Duke of Buckingham, due to the high cost and inconvenient location. Two years later, King George III paid for the mansion of 21 thousand pounds of sterling, and a residence arranged there. Now this building is called the Buckingham Palace.
On January 15, 1759, the British Museum was first discovered for the public. Since then, the museum is closed only during the periods of the first and second world wars, when his funds were almost completely evacuated. Museum attendance increased from 5 thousand people per year to 5 million people.
The predominance of the Foundations of the Museum of Books and Manuscripts has become less noticeable after the acquisition of William Hamilton (1730-1803), the British ambassador in Naples, the Collections of Greek and Roman VAZ in 1772. Later, the collections of the Roman antique sculpture of Antiquary Charles Townli fell into the museum (1737- 1805). After the Egyptian campaign, the collection of the museum was replenished with ancient Egyptian relics. In 1802, King George III presented the Museum, the famous Rosett stone is the key to deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphic letter. The museum funds were regularly replenished thanks to donations of famous collectors and buying new exhibits.
The rapid replenishment of the collection of the museum led to the fact that the building of Montaggy House was very close. After transferring the museum by King Georg IV in 1823, the library of his father (the so-called of the Royal Library), it was decided to expand the placement of the museum. Designed a new quadrangular building in the neoclassical style Architect Sir Robert Merdle (1781-1867), the first stage of construction was completed in 1852. His brother Sydney Sydney (1798-1877) built a round reading room in the courtyard.
From 1840 "" Museum staff take part in archaeological excavations worldwide.
In connection with the constant lack of space for new exhibits, a building in South Kensington was purchased, where in 1887 they transported four departments of the museum: zoological, botanical, geological and mineralogical. This event served as the basis for the establishment of the Museum of Natural History.
In 1973, it was decided to highlight the collection of books, manuscripts, scrolls, engravings, drawings, drawings, etc. This institution was called from the structure of the museum into a separate organization. This institution was called the British Library. The government allocated a building for the library in Saint-Pancår, the move in which ended by 1997
Today, more than 50 thousand items are exhibited on an area of \u200b\u200babout 75 thousand m2.
Relatively small during the founding of the Museum's funds has become increasing in more than 13 million exhibits in the British Museum, 70 million items in the Museum of Natural History and about 150 million copies in the British Library.

The British Museum in London is one of the oldest and largest historical museums in the world, an actively visited tourist facility, which contains unique artifacts, art masterpieces from around the world. We will tell about the history of the museum, its secrets, exposition, library and how can be reached by independently.

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The basis of the museum's expositions were the private collections of three people famous in the society of personalities who have newly educated state historical and archaeological museum. The act of its creation was approved by the British Parliament in 1753 the first Baronet, President of the Scientific Royal Society of Hans Slone, being a passionate collector, gathered a lot of different wilderness of natural origin, which later became invaluable rarities of the British Museum.

Antikvar and Biblieman Robert Cotton, which gathered a large number of manuscripts and books, made a significant contribution to the creation of museum funds: the collection of his manuscripts became the basis of a whole department who later became the British Library.

Oxford Count, Politician, Public Actor Robert Harley, friendly with Swift and Pupil, Putting interest in ancient books and manuscripts. All my life, he was a passionate collector of book rainets transferred to the museum and significantly replenished his funds. The names of these public figures are holy by the British; Their biographies are studied in schools and universities, they are dedicated to the special sections of museum expositions.

At first, the museum is located in Montagia's mansion in the Bloomsbury district, but began to quickly replenish with new exhibits, which were already crowded the framework of one building. In the years of the Victorian government, a colossal classical building was built, in which the museum is now located.

Mystery museum

In no museum of the world, there are so many mysterious exhibits, on the origin and history of which the scientists of archaeologists and ethnologists are broken down by the heads of their heads, how many in British. Among them, there are many invaluable artifacts who have played invaluable assistance in the study of ancient civilizations left on our planet weighty traces in the form of Egyptian pyramids, the giants of Easter Island and other unicorms. With the help of modern technologies, employees can accurately determine the time of creating artifacts, location, establish their genuine initial species, national affiliation of the person depicted in sculpture. LED lamps help to figure out even the color of already erased paints.

The storage facilities maintain a constant temperature that contributes to the quality preservation of rarities. The scientists of the museum organize expeditions to the site of excavations, from where objects of the left eras were retrieved and carefully examine the square, deepening and expanding them. Many secrets of life of the past ancient states was disclosed here, thanks to the research of unique artifacts. As for finding some of them there are serious claims from other states claiming to possess.

Egyptians believe that the stone from the rosette should belong to them; Tajiks require the return of the Oksky treasure; China claims manuscripts, paintings and other rarities of Mogao Caves. Nigerians seek the return of bronze Benin sculptures. In the museum's expositions are the rare rarities representing the ancient states of Egypt, Eldlats, Urartu, Elama, the Midy Kingdom, India, Babylon, Mesopotamia and others. Enthusiast scientists, employees of the British Museum carefully examine the ancient exhibits, solving the secrets of the past, imprinted in them, thereby making an invaluable contribution to the history of the Company's development.

Exposition

Artifacts of ancient Egypt

One of the richest expositions of the museum, which presents a diverse history of the most developed ancient civilization. Rosett stone is the most important exhibit that causes real controversy in the world about who should belong to. It was he who allowed to study Egyptian writing after deciphering the Jeroglyphs deposited on it, by the French Easternist Shampillon, putting the beginning of Egyptology. During the Napoleonic campaign to Egypt (1798) during the earthworks, during the construction of Fort, the engineer Bushar discovered the granite slab with inscribed on it. Nakhodka was sent to Cairo, where scientists took up the study of texts and realized that they deal with the object II of the century BC. e.

The stone instantly became an invaluable artifact, for the possession of which the Government of England went to concessions and signed the Aleksandrin Termixion Treaty (1801) in exchange for the ancient treasure. Thanks to the intellectual efforts of the famous Frenchman, the stone "spoke" and allowed to further learn a lot about the history of Egypt. Statues of Pharaoh Ramses II, Amonofis III, Sarcophag Mummy Cleopatra - the most valuable exhibits about which many museums of the world are generously stored here, are restored by the most experienced and talented masters (in the state of the Museum 50 Restorers).

Nowhere will you no longer see the unique sculptural bust of Pharaoh Amenhotpa III, stupid of stone limestone, his statue and sculptural image of the head carved from red granite. In total, in the expositions of ancient Egypt, about 110 thousand items: they cannot be exposed to all for Furnishing in 7 thematic galleries, which can accommodate only 4% of exhibits, among them - 140 mummies and burial urns. Unique Artifact - AMARANA Archive, giving valuable historical information: 95 plates of clay containing the diplomatic pharaoh correspondence for 1350 years BC. e. and giving a reliable picture of the life of those years.

Greece and Rome

the rarest sculptures adorned by Athenian Parthenon
the figures of the king of Maulzole and the queen of Artemisia
details of the sculpture of a horse from Galicarnas Mausoleum
etruscan Sarcophag 2 V. BC e. other

Of great interest are prehistoric golden decoration (brooch), the Roman sword with the sheath; Fris, depicting the scenes of the Amazon War with the Greeks.

Near East

During the excavations, thousands of objects of culture, life, ancient writing, richest treasures with jewels (Amourdarya treasure) were discovered. The art of ancient Islam is represented by 40 thousand exhibits: products from the finest ceramics, glass, bronze, silver and gold are exhibited in 13 galleries, where 4500 items are simultaneously exhibited.

The values \u200b\u200bof incredit world significance include:

basanery decorations of the Assyrian Palace of Horasabad
fragments of the Balavat gate from the fortress of Assyria, which show the scenes of the royal life
gold and Silver Decorations of the Ahmedinsky Kingdom (current Tajikistan)
sculptures depicting lions with human heads
clay plate with text narrated by the World Flood

Ancient story and europe

gold Cup (Ringlemer, 8-16 V.V. BC.)
necklace of gold (Sintra, Portugal, (10-8 century. V. BC)
silver products (Spain, 100 years BC. e.)
tetford treasure - silver and gold products (4 in. AD)
golden jewelry from the Sutton-Hu, found in the burial crypts 4-7 V.V. n. e. On the territory of England
golden Cup of the Royal Family France 14th century
cancer of gold, decorated with a set of precious stones for storing a sacred relic - a thorns crown

Asia

The department submitted by the objects of Asian culture from the prehistoric era to the present: Buddhist statues, bas-reliefs (India); porcelain, bronze, jade and other gems, Buddhist paintings and buddha statues (China); Sculptures of gold and silver (Indonesia, Sambas).

Africa, America, Oceania

Exposures having a huge ethnographic collection of objects (350 thousand nranges) illustrating the life of the aborigines of these continents: Aztecs, Maya, Inca (America), Ashantsev (Ghana) and representatives of other ancient indigenous peoples. Amazing mosaic of acteches from turquoise; Sculpture group from Jamaica.

The department in which a millionth amount of exhibits collected representing the history of manufacturing and using coins in different periods of human life (from the 7th century BC. E. And to today). All of them have high numismatic and historical value.

The expositions of this department contain approximately 50 thousand figures, more than 2 million engravings and xylographic works of the famous artists of Europe (14th century - our days) from Leonardo da Vinci to modern avant-gardeists.

Drawings, lithographs, engravings, sketches, watercolors Durera, Claude, Watta; Almost 30 thousand works of the artists of England Middle Ages and modernity. Created an online base for 500 thousand exhibits, accompanied by high-quality illustrations.

Library

One of the largest storage facilities of the printed and handwritten rabbles of the world, having 6 reader rooms for 670 visitors. In the Library Foundations there are almost 7 million volumes of various print publications, 200 thousand copies of manuscripts in European languages, 38 thousand - in the languages \u200b\u200bof the East; 250 thousand printed books; 500 thousand geographical maps; 1 million music records. The reference section of science and inventions has a subscription by almost 20 thousand scientific and technical journals. Each year, the library funds increase by 1 million copies. Here everyone can find any literary source, artwork or scientific report, historical information or poetic masterpieces.

British Museum of the Egyptian Hall. British Museum: photos and tourist reviews

Read also

Expositions of the British Museum:

Greco-Roman exposition

Art Department of Ancient Greece and Rome

Egyptian exposition

Department of Antiquities in the region of Front Asia

Department of East

Artifacts of ancient Egypt

Greece and Rome

Near East

Ancient story and europe

The history of the museum

Expositions of the British Museum

Department of Ancient History and Europe

Department of Asia

Department of Africa, Oceania and America

Department of coins and medals

Department of Engravings and Drawings

Controversial issues of the museum

Mystery museum

Exposition

Artifacts of ancient Egypt

Greece and Rome

Near East

Ancient story and europe

Asia

Africa, America, Oceania

Library