Following on from yesterday's post about our visit to the Museum of London, today I am sharing our afternoon visit to the British Museum. From the Museum of London, we headed back to the Barbican Tube Station, ready to catch a train to the BM.
So one train ride and then a longish walk through the streets until we arrived at this museum.
This building is amazing in itself, with huge rooms and ornate high ceilings.
In Years 11 and 12 at school, I studied both Ancient and Modern History and this museum just brought to life all those old civilisations that I studied over those 2 years, starting with the Sumerians (present day Iraq), Babylonians, Persians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks and Romans...they were all 'here at the British Museum...and lots more of course! What a great school excursion this place would have been! :-)
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The imposing front of the British Museum...
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| Egyptian artefacts... the rooms were huge! |
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| This huge hand was originally part of what must have been a HUGE statue... |
Leaving the Egyptian exhibits we came to the Assyrians...poor DH, I don't think he could fathom how excited I got seeing artefacts for real instead of just being illustrations in a text book!
The recreation of the Balawat gates...they were so tall!
The Romans...
More artefacts...
Some British history now...
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| I was captivated by these gorgeous little blue willow items...the sign explained that they were samples which the salesmen would carry around to show to potential retail customers... |
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| A lethal looking crossbow |
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| Some more exquisite china... |
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| Tableware made from 'mother of pearl'... |
In the late 60s I learned about the Rosetta Stone...and here it was on display in the British Museum.
DH and I spent a number of hours wandering around this magnificent museum...what an experience it was. However, we know that we only saw a small part of the collections...it's a huge place!
The recreation of the Balawat gates...they were so tall!
The Romans...
More artefacts...
Some British history now...
DH and I spent a number of hours wandering around this magnificent museum...what an experience it was. However, we know that we only saw a small part of the collections...it's a huge place!
4 comments:
Its a really difficult task, to decide what to see.... despite living in London until I was 18, and visiting often, I know I have only seen a fraction of the exhibits. You did manage to see a few of the highlights though...well done !
How fantastic! I know that feeling of amazement at seeing something in real life that you have studied at school. In the national museum in Delhi I made a bee-line for their exhibit of Harappan artefacts. The museum is nothing like as large or impressive as the British Museum, but the tiny sculptures and clay tablets from the Indus civilisation almost made me cry in real life.
What an extraordinary Museum Maria. Wonderful artefacts, but the building itself was worth a visit too. Love your pics.
One of my favourite places in the whole world. I would love to visit it again. Enjoyed your photos and the post immensely :)
-Soma
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