ancient Egypt Museum review
The Lion goddess SEKMET
The British Museum, Holborn, London. Free entry
The Egyptian galleries is a must for any visitor that has a love for this ancient culture. Filled with treasures beyond one’s belief you are immediately transported back in time from the moment you enter the ground floor gallery and set eyes on the colossal bust of Amenophis 111, the father of Akhenaten. The atmosphere constantly rings with excitement and discovery as visitors make their way around the large Victorian styled hall to view the Rosetta Stone, a gigantic stone scarab, mummies, kings lists, and the beard of the Sphinx. Just a few of the many splendours on view. My personal favourites are the four statues of the Goddess Sekmet, goddess of war and healing, that sit in reverence overseeing the daily hustle and bustle of the groups of tourists and school children who are eager to catch a glimpse of the past.
Well worth a visit…Editor
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is situated on 5th Avenue in New York City holds one of the finest collections of ancient Egyptian artefact’s. Several years ago, when I visited the museum, I was memorised by their fine collection which is rich in both the royal and private art of the Middle (ca. 2040–1640 B.C.E.) and early New Kingdoms (ca. 1640–1450 B.C.E.) and in the funerary art of the Third Intermediate and Late Periods (ca. 1070–332 B.C.E.).
I believe that the Met has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of ancient Egyptian Art in the world.
Today the collection of the Department of Egyptian Art is made up of around 24,000 objects, dating from 3,000 B.C.E. to 400 C.E.—from prehistoric Egypt through the Byzantine occupation during the reign of Emperor Justinian. All of which help to reflect the history, daily life, and religious beliefs and artistic values of the ancient Egyptians throughout their great civilization. Nearly all of the objects in the Mets collection are on view.
A highlight of the Met collection, and one of my favourites pieces is the Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing, an Egyptian monument built (ca. 15 B.C.E.) by the Emperor Augustus, who succeeded the famous Cleopatra VII in ruling Egypt and Lower Nubia. Presented to the United States as a gift from the Egyptian government in recognition of the American contribution to the international campaign to save the ancient Nubian monuments (especially the rock temples of Abu Simbel), the Dendur Temple has been reassembled as it appeared on the banks of the Nile, in a modern simulation of the entire site, with a reflecting pool representing the Nile, a terrace, a court, foundation walls, and a hillside of stone.
If you are planning to visit New York, the Metropolitan Museum should definitely be on your list of places to visit. Editor XX
The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London was established in 1892 by the eccentric traveller and diarist Amelia Edwards. The museum, which is named after the famous Egyptian archaeologist Flinders Petrie, and is run by the University College London houses Petrie’s unique collection of amulets, pottery fragments, tools, weapons, weights and measures, stone vessels and jewellery. A collection, which help to provide you with an insight into how people lived and died in the Nile Valley. Amongst the many highlights of the collection at the Petrie Museum you will find colourful tiles, carvings and frescoes from heretic pharaoh Akhenaten’s capital Tell el Amarna, the world’s largest collection of mummy portraits from the Roman period (first to second centuries AD)., and the world’s oldest woven garment, a 5,000-year-old Tarkhan Dress, a dancer’s bead-net dress from around 2400 BCE and a suit of armour from the palace of Memphis.
I visited the museum on several occasions during my studies and when I was taking young people on a visit during the summer break. The Petrie Museum is a quirky hidden gem which is a must for anyone who has a passion for the culture of ancient Egypt.. Editor
