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How and where to see Mummies and Egyptian Art at the British Museum (London)

Sarcophagi of Egyptian mummies at the British Museum in London
Sarcophagi of Egyptian mummies at the British Museum in London

In your trip to londonWithout a doubt, one of the visits that should be essential is the British museum and one of its main attractions is its spectacular collection of mummies and egyptian art.

In fact, on a quick trip to London I have not missed the opportunity to take a tour of this enormous museum, although always focusing my visit on the rooms dedicated to Egypt.

Although I will tell you that already in the first exhibition room of the museum you find one of the great jewels of the same belonging to the egypt collection: the Rosetta stone.

Rosetta Stone in British Museum

It is a large stone from the year 196 BC, which was discovered in the Nile Delta, riding a Rashid (Rosetta).

Exhibited inside a display case around which visitors gather, its discovery represented a historical milestone of great significance.

La Rosetta stone what you can see in the british museum london a decree of Ptolemy V in the Egyptian language of the time, in its two versions, heglorific and demotic (writing of the people), and also in classical Greek.

Egyptian mummies at the British Museum in London
Egyptian mummies at the British Museum in London

Thanks to this, it has subsequently been possible to translate the heglorific texts of the Ancient Egypt.

The best things to see about Egyptian art in the British Museum

But this archaeological jewel is nothing more than the prelude to the Great collection of Egyptian art from the British Museum, which extends through various areas of the building.

On the one hand, the large Archaeological pieces You find them in the spacious galleries and rooms of the ground floor, on the left, as you enter the museum.

In this area, among numerous and spectacular sculptures and various objects, you can see the Colossus of Ramses II, a large sculpture that was moved to the museum at the beginning of the 19th century.

Indeed, the first exponents of Egyptian art they arrived at British museum after the transfer to England of numerous pieces found in the French expedition of 1798, after the signing of the Treaty of Alexandria.

Sarcophagi of Egyptian mummies at the British Museum in London
Sarcophagi of Egyptian mummies at the British Museum in London

Later, starting in 1882, after the expeditions promoted by the foundation Egypt Exploration Fund, the London museum began to house many more pieces and objects from the Ancient Egypt.

El Obelisk of Nectanebo II or the statue of Amenophis III are some other example of Egyptian art that you can see in this area of ​​the museum.

How and where to see Egyptian Mummies in the British Museum

The other great attraction from Egypt that shows us the British museum They are the spectacular ones sarcophagi and the numerous egyptian mummies.

Therefore, before your visit, you are interested in knowing where to see the mummies in the British museum, pieces that you will find in a different area of ​​the same: in the second floor, on the opposite side of the entrance to the building.

Do not be surprised that to appreciate in detail the egyptian mummies You have to wait for the numerous visitors to open a space to reach the display cases.

That said, one of the essential visits on your trip to London.

Photos of mummies and Egyptian art in British museum

Here you have more photos of the collection of Egyptian art, mummies and sarcophagi which you can see in the British Museum in London.

About the Author

José Luis Sarralde

Journalist and traveler throughout his life, José Luis Sarralde is the founder of Guías Viajar, where since 2008 he has been capturing his travel experiences around the world, specializing in cultural and scenic destinations in Spain and Europe.

Comments

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  • Pirate country. Return the pieces that the museum has to Egypt, they should be in the Cairo museum. With the excuses of the expeditions and Egypt's lack of resources to finance them, they take everything.

  • In my humble opinion, the British museum is missing some “star piece”, a mona lisa, a guernica,…

    The Rosetta stone doesn't have enough pull.

    • Jorge, you are right, no masterpiece like the ones you mention can be compared with the Rosetta Stone.

      But the truth is that the British Museum is something different, as it concentrates great works and objects from the ancient world.

      The Mona Lisa or the Meninas are masterpieces, but seeing the Egyptian mummies or a small Greek temple inside the British Museum is something impressive.

      In any case, to taste...

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