The British Museum

In 1798, Napoleon's army landed on the African coach at Alexandria and proceeded to march towards Cairo. His army soon overcame the Ottomans, giving the French unfettered control of Egypt. The army set about building fortifications, including construction near the port city of Rosetta. It was here on July 15, 1799 that French Army captain, Pierre-Francois Bouchard discovered the Rosetta Stone.

The stone is scribed with a decree from Ptolemy V repealing taxes and ordering new statues to be erected in local temples. The inscription in two Egyptian languages and classical Greek enabled scholars to previously untranslatable hieroglyphics. Today, the Rosetta Stone sits in the British Museum in London. It arrived in England in 1802 shortly after the British Army successfully routed Egypt’s French invaders.

This afternoon Garry and I finally got to see the Stone for ourselves. We’d previously seen a replica in Cairo, donated by the British Museum in 2005. The Rosetta stone sits just into the main Egyptian hall of the British Museum. It’s easy to spot. Just follow the crowd.

The building’s newest addition is a stunning covered atrium known as the Great Court. It was opened in 2000. Effectively, an enormous glass dome covers the Museum’s former courtyard transforming it into Europe’s largest covered square. The sensation of space and light is stunning. A truly spectacular public space.


The British Museum boasts the largest and most comprehensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo. It also has an impressive collection of Greek items, including an extensive selection of marble sculptures from the Parthenon. These stunning relief sculptures of horsemen and warriors are also known as the Elgin Marbles. They were named after the 7th Earl of Elgin who controversially shipped them out Greece in 1806. The Greek government has been trying to have them return ever since. At times the British Museum feels more like a dodgy collection of stolen goods.

Today’s trivial fact de jour? The Parthenon’s current state of ruin isn’t a result of ancient decay. It was destroyed in 1687 when a gunpowder store inside was set alight by an enemy bombardment. It’s hard to imagine an ancient monument was used as a munitions dump. Who says history is dull?