Due to years of archaeological expeditions, London, and more broadly the UK has longstanding ties with the country of Egypt. Though the transcontinental country was never part of the British Empire, it was under British control between the 1880s and 1920s. This meant that the country became a major British army battalion spot and saw many archaeological expeditions take place there.
What this all means is that the UK has become one of the most prolific collectors of Ancient Egyptian artefacts. Guests of London West End stay packages can find many examples of Ancient Egypt in the city of London and below you can find out more about these wonderful sculptures, museums and landmarks.
Artefacts Of The British Museum
The British Museum was founded in 1753 and between the 1880s and 1980s, English archaeologists led excavations across Egypt. Many objects recovered from tombs as prolific as Tutankhamun and were spread across hundreds of academic institutions and museums. One of the most notable was the British Museum on Russell Square. This free to visit museum is one of the largest in the world dedicated to human history. Guests of the Piccadilly London can reach it via several tube stations – Goodge Street, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road and Russell Square, which between them serve the Northern, Piccadilly and Central Lines.
The Rosetta Stone
One of the most famous artefacts at the British Museum is the Rosetta Stone, a large stone on which is carved a royal decree from the year 196 BC. Though the contents of the degree are less interesting, the Rosetta Stone’s three different languages meant that it could be used as a decoding system to better understand Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Rosetta Stone was originally discovered by French archaeologists in 1799, but was handed over to the British after the defeat of Napoleon in Egypt. In 1802, it was transported to the British Museum where guests of the Piccadilly London West End can marvel upon it on the Ground Floor.
Mummies of The British Museum
The British Museum is also home to a fantastic collection of mummified bodies, sarcophagi and artefacts numbering up to around 10,000. The British Museum’s Egyptian and Sudanese Gallery present many of the most stunning works.
It’s worth mentioning however, that the artefacts here are subject to dispute on account of their home countries having more right to the ownership of them than the British Museum, which came into possession of them through wars and sieges in the 19th century.
Cleopatra’s Needle
A walk along the Thames at the Victoria Embankment will have guests of discount hotels in West End London stumble upon one of London’s most astounding artefacts on display in public. This huge obelisk was presented by Egypt to Great Britain in 1798 after Admiral Horatio Nelson beat the French on the River Nile. Previously located in the city of Heliopolis in 1450, the obelisk dates back 3 and a half thousand years and in transporting it to the UK in the 1870s, it was untethered and lost in the bay of Biscay. The 6 crewmen who lost their lives recovering in the proceeding 5 days are commemorated on a plaque on the obelisk.
Sekhmet At Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s auction house is situated on New Bond Street and it’s only fitting that an institution dedicated to the auction of historic artefacts and antiques should have above its entrance a sculpture of the warrior goddess Sekhmet. The sculpture itself dates back to 1320 BC, and is still on display today for any who walk past.
