Deir el-Bahari; the stunning mortuary temple of the female pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Hatshepsut, who was erased from history.

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Your first view of Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deer el-Bahari will leave you stunned. What an amazing place with some people believing that this is the most beautiful of all the Egyptian temples. Hatshepsut, was to become a royal princess, the “Great Royal Wife”, Queen of Egypt, Queen Regent of Egypt and finally, Pharaoh in her own right, despite not being male. She was to wear the royal kilt of a pharaoh, the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, as well as a false beard just like all other Pharaohs. Many egyptologists believe that she was an astute and wise leader who had the ability to choose good advisers. To leave her mark, she did not only build her mortuary temple, she also erected 4 obelisks at the Karnak temple in Luxor. The red granite obelisks weighed up to 250 000 tons and had to use 27 boats to move them from Aswan in the south.

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The Great Sphinx; built by Djedefre or Khafre? Plus intrigue, murder, mystery and more pyramids.

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The Great Sphinx, was it built by Djedefre or Khafre. Could it be a story of intrigue, murder, mystery and more? When one thinks of famous historical monuments to visit in the world, the Sphinx will always near the top of the list, especially when a visit to the Sphinx will take in the stunning pyramids nearby. At 245 feet long (75.5 metres) and 65 feet tall (20metres) it is a very large statue although it is somewhat belittled by the pyramids behind it. Who built the tallest pyramid? Khafre’s pyramid at first sight looks taller than Khufu’s Great Pyramid but this is an optical illusion, mainly because it was built on higher land.

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The Great Pyramid should be on your "bucket list" but why not go now?

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The Great Pyramid should be on your "bucket list" but why not see it now? Great Pyramid, is the first and only existing one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”. It was originally 481 feet tall but now is only 451 ft due to losing its top 30feet. It was built by Pharaoh Khufu known as Cheops by the Greeks, who was the second king of the 4th dynasty, ruling from 2589-2566 BC. It was built to be Khufu’s monumental tomb and his vehicle to the afterlife but when his sarcophagus was opened it was empty. It was yet another robbed burial place.Oddly, when you see it next to his son, Khafre’s pyramid, it looks smaller but this is due to Khafre’s being built on a higher part of the plateau. Possibly, out of deference to his father, Khafre’s is smaller. Khufu’s pyramid was the highest building on the planet for the next 4000 years!

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Sneferu, the greatest ever pyramid builder.

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Pharaoh Sneferu, is seen by many as the greatest ever pyramid builder. He ruled Egypt from 2613-2589 and was the first pharaoh of the fourth dynasty. He went down in history as the man who built 3 pyramids, the “Medium Pyramid”, the “Bent Pyramid” and the “Red Pyramid”. Unfortunately, the first two presented Sneferu and Neferma’at, his eldest son, vizier and architect, with big problems but to their credit, they had a third attempt and constructed the Red Pyramid. This was the first “true pyramid” with straight sides and a square base. When people refer to a pyramid, this is what is envisaged.

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Pharaoh Djoser and the world's first pyramid at Saqqara.

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The amazing stepped pyramid is a major turning point in Egyptian and arguably, world history. It is a turning point because it led to one hundred pyramids being built in Egypt and it is the first monumental stone building in the world. To build pyramids, required a huge workforce and an economic system to support the construction, the builders and to finance it all. When completed, it would have been stunning close up and being 60 m high, it could be seen for miles around and therefore, leave a lasting impression that this was a monument built for an awesome king. Today, when one thinks of Egypt, one thinks of pyramids and this was the first. Before it, pharaohs were buried in the ground and later on, in “mastabas”, small, low level, mud brick constructions, that lacked conveying any form of status. From now on pyramids were to be seen, not as a pharaoh’s last resting place but as a popular TV programme has put it, a resurrection machine.

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Discover the story of Tutankhamen through objects, tomb paintings, hieroglyphs and treasure, from four different locations.

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In this post, you will see photos from Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, an exact replica of his tomb at Howard Carter’s house, the tomb of Ay (also in in the Valley of the Kings), the next pharaoh who is believed to occupy the tomb that was meant for Tutankhamen and from the Cairo Museum, soon to be moved to the new and amazing, Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza. You will read about his tomb, his artefacts, his mummy and his brief life. The last section of the post will give you essential information to make your visit trouble free, comfortable and as awesome as possible.

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Rameses II - one of the stars of the British Museum

/ British Museum/

Why you should go to see Rameses II at the British Museum. A concise account of key details on Rameses II, considered the greatest pharaoh of them all. Seeing key sculptures of Rameses II at the British Museum.

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Why the British Museum should be on everyone's itinerary

/ British Museum/

I know what you’re thinking: “why on earth would I put a museum on my London itinerary”? Shouldn’t I be visiting the world-class restaurants, the west-end theatre or simply taking in the history like Buckingham Palace. Furthermore, you’ll be surprised to find that the British Museum isn’t focused on British History (very little of it is actually British).

However, stick with me, because the British Museum is not only one of the best museums in Britain, but probably the world.


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Why the British Museum?

Firstly, because you can investigate over 4000 years of history in one place. Spread over four floors, there are plenty of artefacts to see at your leisure and we’ve made multiple trips (probably culminating in days of exploring and we still haven’t seen it all).

From Rameses II of Egypt, to the Rosetta Stone and the preserved remains of Lindow Man, to the Sutton Hoo treasure and Viking loot, the British Museum is home to some of the most important artefacts in the world and there will be something that interests everyone.

Can’t afford to go to Egypt? Go to the British Museum and immerse yourself in the world of the pharaohs!

Mummies, statues, ancient pictures and hieroglyphs, the British Museum has loads of them.The spectacle of world of ancient Egypt is there for all to see.Ever seen a mummified Cat, crocodile or bull? They are all there to add to the story of the land of the pharaohs.

You can take in the museum long galleries packed with amazing objects from Ancient Egypt. After spending a couple of hours in galleries on two floors you’ll be booking your next holiday to the land of the Pharaohs. This is only the start of your expedition in time to some of the most fascinating periods of history.

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Here’s a few more reasons why we love this museum.

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone

Have you ever wandered how Egyptian hieroglyphs were deciphered?

Have a look at the Rosetta Stone and see hieroglyphs alongside ancient Greek and Demotic. Look for the the cartouche (name) of Rameses II on the stone and wonder how it was decoded. If you want to get even closer to the Rosetta Stone, go to room one and see an exact copy that you can touch and get a closer look.

You can see giant statues from one of the first civilisations which predates the Romans and Greeks

You can meet the mysterious Lindow Man

The British Museum may be famous for grand men of history, Pharoahs and Greeks of the classical world but here you will find a British man from the Iron Age. Pete Marsh was murdered 2000 years ago yet his body was preserved in Lindow Moss in a Manchester peat bog. Archaeologists have even discovered that he had just eaten some bread for breakfast before he was brutally killed.

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Want to see the the world of the Ancient Greeks?

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You can get close up to legendary heroes, centaurs and the world famous Elgin Marbles from the Acropolis at the British Museum.

Key stage 2 comes alive at the British Museum.

Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece are all important features of Key stage 2 History studied in primary schools.Make your child’s studies come alive and take the to the British Museum.

Want to entertain your children and grand children? Get them away from their iPads for the day?

Take them to the British Museum and have lots of fun discovering ancient worlds with our activity sheets.


Look at the detail in this buckle

Look at the detail in this buckle

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See treasure from largest ever Anglo-Saxon Ship burial at Sutton Hoo.

Despite no wooden remains lasting the ravages of an acid soil in East Anglia, the ghostly outline of a ship was carefully excavated to reveal the amazing grave goods of an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who was once thought to be a king! Marvel at the skilled artistic metalwork used to create the gold and garnet shoulder clasps, a purse lid and belt buckle.


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Meet the Lewis Chessmen, made 800 years ago in Norway but found on the Island of Lewis, Scotland.

For nearly 2500 years before the X Box and Wii, people of all ages from all over the medieval world, have played chess. Made of intricately carved Walrus ivory and whale tooth, the Lewis chessmen are one of our favourite exhibits. Look at their gloomy faces. The queen looks particularly fed up. In contrast, the pawns do not have any human features and some people believe, reflect the Islamic version of this Indian invented game.

 
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Never heard of the Assyrians?

At its height the Assyrian empire was huge and included Iran, Iraq, Egypt Israel and even Cyprus. Amazing carvings and friezes dating from the 8th and 8th centuries BC are among the stunning artefacts in the British Museum. If you want ancient culture without the crowds, come and see the Assyrian collection.

Avoiding the crowds

Want to visit the British Museum but can’t bare the thought of crowded gallery after crowded gallery, visit the Assyrian galleries in rooms 7-9 on the ground floor.


How to get to the British Museum

Take the underground to Tottenham Court Road and it take no more than 10 minutes to walk, with opportunities for a quick cup of coffee on the way.

 

Are you planning a trip to London? What is the best museum you’ve ever visited? Let us know in the comments below.

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Articles on London

Seeing The Past
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"Da Vinci Code", the Knights Templar and William Marshall, the "greatest knight that ever lived", see it all in the Temple Church hidden in the City of London.

The Temple Church was the headquarters of the Knights Templar in London. The Templars have a fascinating history, have been linked to the “Holy Grail” and in modern times have featured in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. In the film of book of his book, the key characters visit the temple in their quest to find the grail. In 1215 AD, it was the place that key negotiations for Magna Carta took place in the reign of King John. On stepping inside the Temple Church, eight effigies can be observed , one of which is William Marshall, known as “the greatest ever knight”.

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The London Mithraeum, discovered in 1954 under the bombed out ruins of London and now rebuilt to give you a "memorable, powerful and authentic experience."

The London Mithraeum, discovered in 1952 under the bombed out ruins of London, is now rebuilt and open to the public to give you a "memorable, powerful and authentic experience."The London Mithraeum was built 1800 years ago by the Romans and dedicated to the god, Mithras. In 1952 a small section of a Roman building was discovered and on the last day of the dig in 1954 its function was confirmed as a temple devoted to the God Mithras. The evidence on that last day was a sculpted head of Mythras. The temple was first built around 240-250AD and was eventually abandoned in about 380AD and is now open to the public in the Bloomberg building. A further excavation took place between 2012-2014 and discovered more than 14 000 artefacts, together with 63 000 pieces of pottery and 3 tonnes of animal bones. This together with the original finds means that this was has become a highly important site in the history of London. Over 400 pieces of writing tablets have been found and this includes the first known reference to London and the earliest hand written document. Some 600 artefacts are on display as well as the temple itself. Several other key finds are on display in the nearby Museum of London. (20 minutes walk)

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Visiting London? The Museum of London, is one of the best museums in the UK and is free. (Part 1)

Visiting London? The Museum of London, is one of the best museums in the UK and is free. You can see amazing objects from thousands of years of life in London, from a Mammoth tusk to a pilgrims badge representing a visit to St Thomas Becket’s tomb. You can get up close to those objects and see their little details. The displays are bright and informative. There are rooms set out as though they were from a Roman villa placing Roman finds in context. Several models are on display such as London’s Roman forum and Basilica as well as the original gothic St Paul’s Cathedral

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Sutton Hoo, “One of the most spectacular and important discoveries of British archaeology”', according to the British museum.

The Sutton Hoo treasure, one of the greatest hoards of treasure found in Britain. See a window into the Anglo-Saxon world after the Romans had left and before the Vikings arrived. The ship burial of a mighty warrior.

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Tower of London for kids - a great place for adults too. Royal Palace, Royal Prison, Execution Central and Murder Mysteries .

With over 1000 years of history, you’ll find plenty to do in the Tower of London for kids as well as some of the more fascinating stories and murder mysteries English history. The Tower of London is one of England’s iconic buildings and the remnants of just how brutal and bloody the Middle Ages were. Why does it have this reputation?From the barbaric and gruesome William the Conqueror who created it, to kings and queens who were excited there, the Tower of London is a place of gripping and captivating history that the whole family can see close up.

Young person's guide to causes of World War Two and The Battle of Britain
Young person's guide to causes of World War Two and The Battle of Britain

A pictorial guide to the causes of World War 2 and the Battle of Britain for young people. A fun, conversation guide that takes you through all you need to know about the reasons for the start of the Second World War for kids.

The Battle of Britain Bunker
The Battle of Britain Bunker

The nerve centre of the operation to save Britain from Nazi conquest in 1940. The Battle of Britain, why so much was owed to so few by so many. Spitfire and Hurricane heroes saved Britain and it all centred here.

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Rameses II - one of the stars of the British Museum

Why you should go to see Rameses II at the British Museum. A concise account of key details on Rameses II, considered the greatest pharaoh of them all. Seeing key sculptures of Rameses II at the British Museum.

Why the British Museum should be on everyone's itinerary
Why the British Museum should be on everyone's itinerary