Page 130 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

128  L ONDON AREA B Y AREA
92
1 British Museum 93
Upper
The oldest public museum in the floors 94
world, the British Museum was
established in 1753 to house
the collections of the physician 90
Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753), who
also helped create the Chelsea 91
Physic Garden (see p201). Sloane’s The innovatively designed Great Court
artifacts have been added to by 67 64
gifts and purchases from all over the world, and the museum 66 55
now contains innumerable items stretching from the present 95 63
day to prehistory. Robert Smirke designed the main part of 56
the building (1823–50), but the architectural 62
highlight is Sir Norman Foster’s Great Court, 57
with the world-famous Reading Room at 61 58
its centre. 59
73
. Egyptian Mummies 72
The ancient Egyptians Montague Place
preserved their dead in entrance 34 71
expectation of an afterlife.
Animals that were believed to
have sacred powers were also
often mummified. This cat 70
comes from Abydos on the Nile 27
and dates from about 30 BC. Ground 33
floor
26
Numerous large-scale
sculptures are featured 24
in the Great Court.

35
Lower
Key to Floorplan floor
Asia
Enlightenment 21
Coins and medals 20 9
Greece and Rome 78 77 19 22 4
Egypt 8
Middle East
Europe 17
Temporary exhibitions 10 7
18 16
Non-gallery space 6
Africa, Oceania and the Americas Lower 15
floor
World Conservation and 11
Exhibitions Centre 13
12

. Parthenon Sculptures Ground
These reliefs were brought to England
by Lord Elgin from the Parthenon floor
in Athens. The British government
purchased them from him in 1816.

128-129_EW_London.indd 128 21/03/17 2:20 pm