While the British Museum often finds itself at the center of controversy, it's important to remember that many of the artifacts it houses might not have survived without intervention. These treasures were often rescued from regimes that placed little to no value on preserving them. The Elgin Marbles, perhaps the most debated collection in the museum, are a prime example of this preservation. When Lord Elgin discovered them, the marbles were being systematically destroyed by the Ottoman rulers of Greece. The British Museum's commitment to making history accessible to all, without charge, is something I deeply appreciate.
Totally agree. There's also the fact that had the Brits not stepped in and curated these artifacts, many of them would have been sold off (possibly illegally) to private collections never to be seen again. Instead the Museum is a resource open to scholars across the world.
During the Morean war of 1684-1699, the Parthenon (source of the Elgin marbles) was used as a gunpowder magazine by the Ottomans. In 1687 a mortar round detonated the magazine, collapsing three of four walls and most of the friezes. So it's safe to say that the Ottomans didn't give a toss about the Parthenon. When Greece gained control of the Parthenon in 1832, much of it was deliberately demolished. By Greeks.
I live near enough to the British museum to be able to go every few weeks. If my soul needs a boost this is where I go, specifically the Egyptian hall. Stunning, beautiful statues that drive you nuts because they are too precise to have been made by copper chisels and nobody is sure how they were made, lost technology. The Rosetta Stone was half destroyed and being reused to prop up a random wall when it was discovered. I know and understand the reasons why people want these artefacts taken “ back home” but many only still exist because they were removed from war zones, looters , hooligans or just from places where they were not appreciated as being significant and were being destroyed to make way for newer buildings. Selfishly I’m glad they’re here, nurtured and removed from threat of destruction because I get to see them and ALWAYS feel so much better for it!
@@frank9446 even if the protection argument is true, Greece has the perfect right to say “thank you very much for looking after our things at a difficult time for us, but we’re now able to look after them ourselves. Please can you give them back.” Say your house was on fire and I removed your belongings to protect them. When you have put out the fire and rebuilt your house you might come back to me and say thank you for looking after my stuff, please can I have it back now. If I said “no I’m still keeping it because I need to show it to other people.” You’d think I was out of order. I would have changed from being a helpful neighbour to being a thief
"To the victor go the spoils" everything in the British museum is perfectly preserved AND free to view for everyone, the otterman empire legally sold England the Greek artefacts and the Middle Eastern, artefacts were thankfully saved from being destroyed by countless wars, the Egyptian artifacts were found and excavated by british archaeologist who paid Egypt for the privilege and were allowed to keep.(for a price) what they found, every nation was compensated and it is only now that people.care about there heritage and want back what they sold decades ago, i want my first car back but the man wont sell it as it was his first car, It's a great video, guys. Thank you for showing such humility and respect
I didn’t know that the Turkish Ottoman Empire has the right to sell Greek artefacts… I fully accept that a lot of these things were legally required, but many were not, and in both instances if the places these artefacts come from want them back then we should give them back.
@@edwardbateman3094 if they were given to the UK through trade or other legal means - then they belong to us, So there is no one to give them back to. I am sure they can buy them back though so they then legally own them.
@@stuffmcstuff399 that’s a simple and understated view of it though. The UK was the most powerful country in the world at that time, calling those arrangements simply ‘trade agreements’ undersells the dynamics of power, coercion and influence the UK had. If America refused to give back the magma carts after WW2 we’d be rightfully pissed off.
We have been accused of stealing the Elgin Marbles. However, the marbles were in the process of being destroyed for road infill, so Lord Elgin bought them and brought them back to the UK. Had he not done so they would not now exist. You only have to look at the monuments destroyed by the ISIS in Iraq.
It was Isis (Daesh) who destroyed the artefacts in Iraq. The Taliban are in Afghanistan. Citation: "Footage shows Islamic State militants in Iraq smashing statues with sledgehammers in bid to crush what they call non-Islamic ideas" The Guardian Thu 26 Feb 2015
Give it a rest. The Pantheon Marbles will be returning to Athens soon, where they belong. As for 'the Taliban in Iraq'? The Taliban are from Afghanistan.
Yep, I’m British and the British museum is mind-blowing. What you might not know is they do sleepovers where you can take you kids and camp overnight and do activities. Did that with my son and a friend when they were about 10 and we slept at the foot of an ancient Egyptian statue ! Wow !
I'm also British (Essex) and was awestruck by such magnificent artefacts. British history also fascinates me too, especially how Stonehenge was erected
Seems I was the only one, but i was a great fan of a puzzle/quiz show they used to do in there with the artifacts, which was filmed in the middle of the night to avoid getting in the way of the daily visitors.Tony Robinson was the host.
@@martinconnelly1473 I am 67 and have a masters defree in ancient History. I visit the British museum every time I go to London, at least once a year, and I am still a child given a sweet jar and the best bit? It's free!!
Please disregard a large percentage of the comments below. You Sir, are a wonderful person - and your wife. Intelligent and emotionally intelligent. As an Englishman I salute you. I have been to the British Museum several times but you have inspired me to insist my children and grandchildren take a day there!
Great for Britain to understand this and say"Let's build a museum and house all this so anyone can come in free and be inspired" This is what makes Britain Great! Enjoy the rest of your stay! 👍
I loved visiting the Imperial War Museum as a history and military technology buff. They have a harrier jet suspended from the ceiling and a full sized V2 rocket (replica)!
I'm British - English. I also don't want to get into the rights and wrongs of the artifacts in the British Museum, but I do want to thank you. I think we very much take all the treasures we hold, for whatever reason, for granted. It's an absolute joy to experience this through your eyes. So thank you.
I’ve travelled throughout Egypt many times throughout my life and I can’t tell you the number of ancient artefacts you see, just lying around the streets, often rotting away, no one cares that’s it thousands of years old. If nothing else, we care for everything and not everything you see was pillaged
The science and natural history museums in S Kensington are side by side and the architecture alone from the outside is unbelievable. Thank you for this video.
I've got to say this is one of the best (possibly THE best) reactions I've ever seen to anything on UA-cam. I know exactly where you're coming from because that's exactly how I felt when seeing these artifacts for the first time as an adult and actually being able to appreciate what they were and what they signified. Truly awesome to witness someone else having their mind blown.
Having grown up in London me and my brothers took the museums for granted. We'd been around them a dozen times, in the end get almost blind to their contents. Now I look at them though your eyes and it's a whole different ball game. I love you enthusiasm and deep appreciation for all that's on display, and now I have that same appreciation all thanks to you. We are very lucky here in the UK to have long long history, a thousand year old parliament, churches on every corner built in the 11th and 12th century and museums galore. Thank you for redirecting my eyes back to what's smack bang in front of me every day of the week. Mike in Boston UK.
As a Brit, I think we take "old" for granted, because of our history and heritage. To have someone like you bring so much enthusiasm and passion to history makes me hopeful - not just that people can still be interested in something that happened 5000 years ago, but also break the stereotypes that go with a country. Thank you for breaking those sterotypes and reigniting my emotion for history!
If you get to visit again try out the Natural History, Science, Geological and the Victoria & Albert museums all in South Kensington all worth a visit. It's lovely to hear you had an epiphany about how linked we still are with our past.
Ive been following you for a while. And can i just say your passion and respect for our country is massively appreciated. Your attempt at cooking our food was superb, very very good effort , our kids nowadays will not come close. I only wish more English shared your passion and love for our country 💯👍
Sir, you say you're not a history buff but I can tell you, you've got something that links you with those at the top of the academic tree - and that's enthusiasm and a thirst to learn. To have that spark to fire your imagination and to absorb so much that comes from our ancient forefathers is a priceless gift. So much of what's wrong with the world is a result of not understanding what has come before and not learning lessons from the past. We need more people like you.
I'm from the north of England and very rarely get to London so thanks for your London vlogs plus British history, fascinating stuff please keep them coming.
Really glad you enjoyed your visit to our small island. If/when you come again, there are more museums waiting for you. I'd also recommend trying to make it across to Bath/Bristol.
Said it before but I love your wide eyed enthusiasm, it's obvious you are excited by history, as said below you would make a great guide, and the wonder has not died since you went home , now that's value for money even though it was free 😂 great vid both of you .
The British museum is one of the most beautiful places in the city of London and it educates people for free I So hate it when other countries around the world tell us it’s ours and we have taken it for our own gains , as Americans it brings me joy to see you guys enjoying these artefacts from all over our world for every one from the world to enjoy for free if you were in another country you would be paying for the privilege
Absolutely loved your reaction to seeing inside the British Museum for the first time. Such awe and enthusiasm. Kind of loved your wife repeatedly saying ‘ You can see a real mummy’ too. Keep on with your reaction videos of your adventures and what you found amazing on your travels. What you do is inspiring to many of us watching you both 👍
Good reaction! Nice to see such passion. It is a marvellous museum, as are all the London museums. A few years ago my eight year old son and I did an overnight stay at London’s Natural History Museum. There were quite a few people attending, spread throughout the museum. He and I slept in sleeping bags on the floor next to Guy the gorilla. We did a treasure hunt through the dinosaur gallery in the dark. And in the morning they gave us a really good breakfast. The London museums really are superb.
The British Museum has a site on UA-cam that is well worth looking at, especially the series of Curators Corner videos, their explanations are easy to follow and aimed at the ordinary person not specialists. The Epic of Gilgamesh is way older than the Assyrians it dates back to the Sumerians who go back to about 4000 BC so 6000 years ago, it was like ancient classical literature to the Assyrians. The museum is so large you can’t take it all in on one visit. Glad you enjoyed it. The world may get smaller when you experience things like these but the mind and understanding gets larger!
As a Brit I have to say the most wonderful museum I have visited is the Getty Villa (a different place from the Getty Museum) in LA. Not only do they show exhibits of ancient times as many other museums do, but they set them in a most remarkable facsimile of a Roman villa (modeled after the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum). A truly amazing and peaceful place.
To really comprehend the scope and scale of artifacts contained within the BM takes several visits. The ancient Egyptian hall is just one area amongst so many. The museum building itself is mindblowing, and the hundreds of thousands of exhibits on display is a total overload. A completely amazing place.
The purpose of a museum is to open the mind and encourage you to research and explore further. So it seemed to have achieved its purpose and its great that you appreciated it so much. There's a few other spectacular museums in London and actually in quite a few cities around the UK. The most popular museums in tourist cities like Edinburgh and London usually get quite a few overseas visitors often on school trips.
I absolutely love both of your love for history, so as a professor at Oxford, I formally invite you to spend some time around our university where I will personally show you some of the oldest historical documents on earth. from Shakespeare to the Magna Carta or the hand-written philosophiæ naturalis principia mathematical by Sir Issac Newton. Come and spend time at the oldest university on earth. oh and Harry Potter was filmed there haha.
Loved the reaction man. Loved it. There is nothing to compare with seeing real artefacts up close, seeing the detail, the love with which they were crafted, owned and venerated. You connect to the humanity of it and yes, you realise that it isn’t a Disney film, it’s real history - a story you’re also a part of. And you can connect. The thing I loved about the British museum, is that because it’s free, you don’t have to try and get your moneys worth by squeezing it all in. As a Londoner you could just wander in and spent an hour or two immersed in one corner, one story, one object. Know too that what’s on display is just a part of the overall collection. It is one of the planet’s great treasure troves of the human story. It is a precious place.
Another famous Egyptian monument is located on the Embankment on the north side of the River Thames in London. It's a 92ft stone obelisk called Cleopatra's Needle. But it has little to do with Cleopatra. It was built in 1450BC to celebrate the military victories of Ramesses the 2nd. He was the pharaoh mentioned in the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.
I went to the British Museum when I was 12 with my school as I lived in London and later in life I went to Egypt and saw Tutenkhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings and then the coffin in the Cairo Museum (so much gold) and the Pyramids which were behind my hotel. Stayed on a boat for a few days tripping up the Nile.
@@Trippingthroughadventures Its truly unbelievable, loved the whole trip, very hot !! The next year I went to Rome and the Colosseum, I am such a history buff !!
That’s the great thing about living in the UK, literally all of these places are a cheap flight or holiday away, Greece, Egypt, Turkey and all the other places with loads of history are just a short and cheap trip away.
I’m glad you made it to our country. Many of our museums are completely free but donations are welcome . And we have many many museums. I came across a small one when in Wales a few days ago. And it really felt like stepping back to my childhood of visiting museums.
Thank you so much. I am English, and to a certain extent, although as equally amazed by the artefacts, your American perspective, and even more so your personal reaction, has given me an added appreciation. I probably took the museum a little bit for granted before.
Glad you enjoyed your visit. I used to work near the British Museum and would occasionally have my lunch there. How cool is that. That Egyptian artefact dated 2,686 BC is actually over 4,700 years ago. Mind blowing.
I went there a year ago and spent some time relating it to what was written about those times in the Bible... Moses, Abraham, Joseph (as effectively Deputy Head/Pharaoh of Egypt) etc...
The British Museum is amazing. I think I was about 8 years old the first time I went, and as a kid who was really into history (later became a history major) it blew my mind. There are some other fantastic museums in London as well (the Natural History Museum and the Imperial War Museum in particular come to mind), but the British Museum is the one that I always make a point of visiting every time I'm in London, and every time I see something fascinating that I've never seen before. One time I was lucky enough to be there when a huge traveling exhibit of terra cotta warriors from Qin Shi Huang's tomb in China was there, and that was just incredible, especially since I've always been interested in them and it's pretty unlikely I'll ever travel to China to see the site where they were all found.
I absolutely love your passion and enthusiasm. Yes, the British Museum is brilliant as are all of the great National museums in London. And all are free entry. I'm very proud to be a Londoner.... I think the greatest city in the world. Keep up the videos. I think you are a perceptive and intelligent man with a thoughtful enquiring mind.
Exiting Harrods the nearest museum is the V&A (600yds) closely followed by the Natural History and Science Museums. The British Museum is over 2 miles away across town.
I've had the good fortune to work at the British Museum. The most astonishing place to enter every day for a day's work. It also has many corridors known only to the people who work there, including a hidden door. Easily the most harmonious melding of modern architecture with an ancient building.
Really happy you enjoyed it. It's great to watch someone be genuinely excited about some of the things you are experiencing. Obviously if you go to Greece or Egypt etc you will see much more but the British museum is a great collection. If you ever come back to the UK I highly recommend going to Portsmouth to see the historic dockyard and the Mary Rose there. Different time in history but that will also astound you. It's my favourite museum by far.
Hey guys... A little embarrassing but, I as most brits have travelled more in other countries than in our own. I have lived in London for 27 years(out of 60), and have never been to the British museum, so this video blew my mind. I've been watching your stuff for a while and I love how passionate, authentic and how neutral and eager you are to learn about the human race as who we all belong to. Many thanks.
The greatest thing God did was make us different, life would be so bring if we was all the same. There’s another amazing exhibit of early Islam. (Keep in mind we are devote Christian’s) but to walk and see the artifacts from early Islam. When Mohammed walked the earth. The idea that those where the people who started the Islamic people, outside of the religious aspect of it, the things that the Islamic community brought in the way of society, science, etc.. it was truly amazing
Yep - it's a good museum! And in my view, it is especially good in that in covers so many cultures. However, if you are specifically interested in just Egyptian exhibits, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is mind-blowing - you can easily spend a couple of days in there (just like the British Museum!) and not run out of interesting things to see and learn about... and then you can do some day trips to the Pyramids & Sphinx, Luxor, Karnak and Abu Simbel. Extra big thumbs up for this video
I love London. I get a feeling of being home.. Almost everywhere you look there is something historical, and IMO all British history is an extension of American history. The British Museum is overwhelming. Hope you also managed to get to the British Library where you can see the actual Magna Carta. Here in the US an incredibly old building is almost 200 years old. In the UK that's practically new.
Being a Brit and live just 60 miles from London. I have visited the British Museum countless times. Well worth the visit, as is the Natural History museum. I like to think that if we (Britain) never took these back they could have been destroyed.
@@Trippingthroughadventures Careful not to turn too many corners though 😆 People often wildly exaggerate how rough and dangerous London is, it's generally a pretty safe city. But most of it isn't all grand and inspiring haha... One point to note, a constructive criticism of sorts, is please include criticism of the UK where you see negatives, as these would be equally interesting for us (probably majority UK viewers) to hear about from you guys. I've seen almost no disrespect in the comments so I'm sure the British audience would handle it well.
I'm grateful to be able to go to the British museum and see things I would never be able to see otherwise, and to be able to see things that otherwise m8ght not even exist any more.
As a Londoner I know that often people forget that these places are here, I was lucky & visited the museums often as a child which really opened up my mind, I fell in love with the natural history museum, easily my fave, I love this vid, it’s so wonderful that people still appreciate how important this stuff is & the fact that it’s free to see makes me so happy
I love the British museum, natural history, the science museum, and the V&A, I take my children to them all the time. They are amazing. Anyone that says we should give stuff back, I say no, lol, they didn't want it, they wouldn't look after it and we are the keepers of history. Love your channel, I hope you cone back soon 🏴🙂
We are coming back very soon and hopefully I will be able to take my kids there, but I am coming back to this place day one. I’m in love with this place it is truly amazing. Thank you for the kind words.
@Trippingthroughadventures excellent. The British museum has its own channel, maybe check out prof Irvin Finkell talking about the oldest map, which is in the British museum, he is brilliant, he's like a wizard, you'll love him, he's so passionate. One of my favourite exhibits is the sutton hoo exhibit, but I love it all. The natural history, science museum, and the V&A are all next to each other, I popped into the V&A to show my children my favourite door, yes I have a favourite door! Lol, I'd send you a pic, but I can't on here, my six year old daughter tried to walk through it lol, the member of staff freaked out lol, I thunk she thought she would end up in Narnia or something, so funny. It says everywhere not to touch in the British but I can't help myself, I have a sneaky touch so I can feel more connected to the past. What can I say, I'm a rebel so I can't blame my daughter for trying to walk through the door lol
@@Trippingthroughadventures if your kids are like most, the Science Museum will be their favourite, as it is one of the most interactive. If you have boys, and they have the typical interests of boys, make sure to visit The Imperial War Museum too. The Natural History Museum is also absolutely top-tier and worth a whole day to explore in its own right. The only 'museum-like' thing I'd suggest to avoid as extremely disappointing is The London Dungeon which, compared to so many wonderful free museums, is a *very* cheap money-grab and always has been. You'll learn a lot, lot more about London and its history from the many monuments, from The Tower of London, from the Victoria & Albert Museum (The V&A), and so on. That all said, as you probably now know, thousands of years of history are all around you just walking around London *if* you know not so much _where_ to look, but _how_ to look. There are literal sections of Roman walls still in place, there's some excavated Roman baths and villas, not to mention sections of road, and that's just the Roman history. History from the Dark Ages, the Medieval times, and the Renaissance are literally just all around you in certain places, especially in the place names. Ancient Guilds are *still* actually operating and part of the pageantry and tradition of The City of London (look up Doggett's Coat and Badge Race for example). And of course, more modern history, such as Victorian and Georgian, the age of the Great British Empire, are so commonplace that they are ubiquitous and everywhere, but most noticeable in the parks, the monuments, the statuary, and many great buildings - and completely taken for granted.
We should give back historical artefacts if the country is in a stable position to preserve them and requests them to be returned. No need to be ignorant and nationalistic about this. Even if artefacts weren't stolen, there's a lot of middle ground between outright theft at gunpoint and willingly sold. Such as pressure being applied or compensating them in exchange for taking them, I'm just saying. Each country deserves to teach its own history to future generations.
@@britishknightakaminininja1123 I can especially vouch for the Imperial War Museum being excellent for war history and military technology enthusiasts. It's especially nice as it's one of the few major museums where you can see it all in one visit.
I have visited the British Museum only twice in my life but it is amazing and you need to stay for at least a day. I loved your reaction to seeing all these ancient artifacts, it reminded me of when I was working behind the bar in an Orkney Hotel and a elderly man from Texas had just returned from visiting the stone -age village of Scara Brae and he said -" Man, that place is older than the Bible!"
Americans have a sense of history but until we witness it, we don’t get a true idea, it’s almost like a disconnection from Hollywood when we finally do see it. I don’t think a lot of people looked over to the uk and said “the best part of the Uk is Harry Potter” I think that’s just a connection or first interest. Then once we get there, we are in places like St. Paul’s and we are swept away and we switch to “ yea okay can you shut up about the kids movie and stairs for a second and tell me how you managed to build something so massive and what’s up with the crypt?!” 😂🤣😂
I'm so glad I've seen someone else have exactly the same reaction as I did walking into The British Museum. Isn't it just great! I remember standing in front of the Rosetta Stone with my mouth wide open, and just wished I had more time to see everything!
A lot of the exhibits in the British Museum were either saved or bought hundreds of years ago. The countries they originated from placed little to no value to them and were quite willing to sell or destroy them but hundreds of years later they've decided they want them back. We knew the inherent significance and value of them all those years ago and saved them for the future of mankind, preserving the history for all to see free of charge.
I live in Florida but am English. Londoner in fact Just want to say thankyou for shedding some light on the British Museum. I have spent days visiting this glorious place and could still spend a month or two walking around there and still not see everything I would wish to. I have traveled a bit and yes the Natural History Museum and Westminster Abbey are up there. As regards Egyptian history Cairo Museum is getting better and up there. When I first went thought there was more damage happening to the artifacts than conserving. Anyways back to the British Museum it is simply magnificent. Don't forget the glass dome is only 22 odd years and made a huge impact. You use the term mind blown a fair number of times I think I was 6 when I went first the last time was 3 years ago. Still want to go back !
This is quite amazing to get an outsider's view of this, 'cos for us Brits, The British Museum is just "there". I'm not from London, but the Museum is absolutely my favourite place and I always go when I visit the capital - but it doesn't blow me away the same as it must for foreigners - particularly from the States, where nothing is very old. I guess other Europeans can take it more in their stride.
I have watched a video that you may like which kinda follows on from this video but is more British centric.. I think it will also blow your mind.. the video is called 'what have the British ever done for us' . Alot of people like to focus on the terrible parts of history but I find this video as a Brit so inspiring.
I like the picture of you going into "some museum" because you needed to use the bathroom, and then becoming aware of what you, and anyone (with a tourist visa), can see for free there.
Great video guys - this is probably the greatest museum in the world. I wish that every Brit and every tourist get to see these fantastic exhibits - it is so beautifully laid out for the world to see .
I'm so glad you enjoyed the British museum. It had a very similar impact on me when I was a teen. It's hard to take it all in isn't it, it's overwhelming.
Education frees the Imagination, I had my imagination freed because of My Junior School Head-Master, at Assembly, one morn who Asked us to let our young minds feel the notes in the Music and let that emotion carry us, here and their, and then as a sixties child, was the first time, I realised Music is the Doorway to another land,
This really took me back, I haven’t been to the British museum since I was child. Me and my Friends had such a great time running wild around the museums in London, the natural history museum was my favourite. Did you visit Hamley’s toy shop when you came to London? I was chased out by security in my teens lmao. Awesome video guys 😊
Loved your commentary. New eyes and enthusiasm woke me up as I am an archaeologist and have been here many times. Will have to go back now and start over. Many thanks and well done.
We sometimes don’t appreciate what we have in the UK and in Europe but having museums that are free to enter is a huge bonus, many schools run school trips to them and benefit from making history a bit more real. I often took my child and several others to the museums and they always enjoyed the experience
What came across from your description was the sense of humility and respect the museum leaves you with. It's all so unfathomably valuable, but it's free to see and within arm's reach (Although everyone's too overcome by a sense of reverence and privilege to go around touching things!). If you have time you must also visit the Natural History Museum!
The Assyrian section is my favorite part of the British Museum. My daughter used to be treated in nearby Great Ormond Street hospital and we would always go there afterwards and choose a section to visit, but we would always find ourselves in the Assyrien section before we went home.
I hope you got to look at the British Anglo-Saxon, Roman and Viking galleries too. Some of the hoards in there are amazing and the Sutton Hoo finds are breathaking
Glad you both enjoyed museum there,s so mutch history in uk, at school we went on loads of field trips like Royal Armouries in Leeds and Kirkstall Abbey Hadrians Wall
If I could spend the rest of my days exploring the history in the uk…. I’d be a happy person. It’s just unreal, we truly don’t know history in the states.
Just randomly walking into one the worlds oldest, biggest and greatest museums is pretty wild. You could spend a week in there and not see it all, and thats just maybe 10% of what they have in the archives
My favourite place is the crystal hall or yea and the library hall is pretty cool. I think that you can get a research pass to go in after hours as well. Cool place and love the way it's free.
You are impressed by the Egyptians, next time you’re are in the UK try the Orkney isles, the site of Skara Brae predate the Pyramids by centuries and now a new older find has just been discovered
Every city in the UK has a museum which will contain some items from around the world. Manchester Museum has an Egyptian section with several mummies. It's amazing to be able to see historical treasures near to your home. Most people would never get to see these items unless they could afford to visit every country of their origin. Some bronzes were returned not so long ago to somewhere in Africa.
While the British Museum often finds itself at the center of controversy, it's important to remember that many of the artifacts it houses might not have survived without intervention. These treasures were often rescued from regimes that placed little to no value on preserving them. The Elgin Marbles, perhaps the most debated collection in the museum, are a prime example of this preservation. When Lord Elgin discovered them, the marbles were being systematically destroyed by the Ottoman rulers of Greece. The British Museum's commitment to making history accessible to all, without charge, is something I deeply appreciate.
Totally agree. There's also the fact that had the Brits not stepped in and curated these artifacts, many of them would have been sold off (possibly illegally) to private collections never to be seen again. Instead the Museum is a resource open to scholars across the world.
During the Morean war of 1684-1699, the Parthenon (source of the Elgin marbles) was used as a gunpowder magazine by the Ottomans. In 1687 a mortar round detonated the magazine, collapsing three of four walls and most of the friezes. So it's safe to say that the Ottomans didn't give a toss about the Parthenon. When Greece gained control of the Parthenon in 1832, much of it was deliberately demolished. By Greeks.
I live near enough to the British museum to be able to go every few weeks. If my soul needs a boost this is where I go, specifically the Egyptian hall. Stunning, beautiful statues that drive you nuts because they are too precise to have been made by copper chisels and nobody is sure how they were made, lost technology. The Rosetta Stone was half destroyed and being reused to prop up a random wall when it was discovered. I know and understand the reasons why people want these artefacts taken “ back home” but many only still exist because they were removed from war zones, looters , hooligans or just from places where they were not appreciated as being significant and were being destroyed to make way for newer buildings. Selfishly I’m glad they’re here, nurtured and removed from threat of destruction because I get to see them and ALWAYS feel so much better for it!
@@Haawser Instead they were illegally sold off to a public collection.
@@frank9446 even if the protection argument is true, Greece has the perfect right to say “thank you very much for looking after our things at a difficult time for us, but we’re now able to look after them ourselves. Please can you give them back.”
Say your house was on fire and I removed your belongings to protect them. When you have put out the fire and rebuilt your house you might come back to me and say thank you for looking after my stuff, please can I have it back now. If I said “no I’m still keeping it because I need to show it to other people.” You’d think I was out of order. I would have changed from being a helpful neighbour to being a thief
"To the victor go the spoils" everything in the British museum is perfectly preserved AND free to view for everyone, the otterman empire legally sold England the Greek artefacts and the Middle Eastern, artefacts were thankfully saved from being destroyed by countless wars, the Egyptian artifacts were found and excavated by british archaeologist who paid Egypt for the privilege and were allowed to keep.(for a price) what they found, every nation was compensated and it is only now that people.care about there heritage and want back what they sold decades ago, i want my first car back but the man wont sell it as it was his first car,
It's a great video, guys. Thank you for showing such humility and respect
Spot on!
I didn’t know that the Turkish Ottoman Empire has the right to sell Greek artefacts… I fully accept that a lot of these things were legally required, but many were not, and in both instances if the places these artefacts come from want them back then we should give them back.
@@edwardbateman3094 if they were given to the UK through trade or other legal means - then they belong to us, So there is no one to give them back to. I am sure they can buy them back though so they then legally own them.
@@stuffmcstuff399 would be nice to give the marbles back though. Greece is a friendly country
@@stuffmcstuff399 that’s a simple and understated view of it though. The UK was the most powerful country in the world at that time, calling those arrangements simply ‘trade agreements’ undersells the dynamics of power, coercion and influence the UK had. If America refused to give back the magma carts after WW2 we’d be rightfully pissed off.
We have been accused of stealing the Elgin Marbles. However, the marbles were in the process of being destroyed for road infill, so Lord Elgin bought them and brought them back to the UK. Had he not done so they would not now exist. You only have to look at the monuments destroyed by the ISIS in Iraq.
lots of shit would not been around if we had not nicked it FACT
@@peterchapman3740 this is why it’s defended, it’s protected here! And FREE FOR ALL
It was Isis (Daesh) who destroyed the artefacts in Iraq. The Taliban are in Afghanistan.
Citation:
"Footage shows Islamic State militants in Iraq smashing statues with sledgehammers in bid to crush what they call non-Islamic ideas"
The Guardian
Thu 26 Feb 2015
Give it a rest. The Pantheon Marbles will be returning to Athens soon, where they belong.
As for 'the Taliban in Iraq'? The Taliban are from Afghanistan.
@@Rachel_M_ not even read the original comment but Taliban are a disciplined unit Daesh are not so yes Daesh destroyed much of history
Yep, I’m British and the British museum is mind-blowing. What you might not know is they do sleepovers where you can take you kids and camp overnight and do activities. Did that with my son and a friend when they were about 10 and we slept at the foot of an ancient Egyptian statue ! Wow !
I'm also British (Essex) and was awestruck by such magnificent artefacts. British history also fascinates me too, especially how Stonehenge was erected
@@martinconnors5195 The sadness of adulthood is that you can lose that childhood wonder of the world.
The science museum is also free
Seems I was the only one, but i was a great fan of a puzzle/quiz show they used to do in there with the artifacts, which was filmed in the middle of the night to avoid getting in the way of the daily visitors.Tony Robinson was the host.
@@martinconnelly1473 I am 67 and have a masters defree in ancient History. I visit the British museum every time I go to London, at least once a year, and I am still a child given a sweet jar and the best bit? It's free!!
Please disregard a large percentage of the comments below. You Sir, are a wonderful person - and your wife. Intelligent and emotionally intelligent. As an Englishman I salute you. I have been to the British Museum several times but you have inspired me to insist my children and grandchildren take a day there!
Great for Britain to understand this and say"Let's build a museum and house all this so anyone can come in free and be inspired" This is what makes Britain Great! Enjoy the rest of your stay! 👍
The Science, Natural History and Imperial War Museums are really worth a trip too. Also all free.
I loved visiting the Imperial War Museum as a history and military technology buff. They have a harrier jet suspended from the ceiling and a full sized V2 rocket (replica)!
I'm British - English. I also don't want to get into the rights and wrongs of the artifacts in the British Museum, but I do want to thank you. I think we very much take all the treasures we hold, for whatever reason, for granted. It's an absolute joy to experience this through your eyes. So thank you.
I’ve travelled throughout Egypt many times throughout my life and I can’t tell you the number of ancient artefacts you see, just lying around the streets, often rotting away, no one cares that’s it thousands of years old.
If nothing else, we care for everything and not everything you see was pillaged
Thank you for the kind words and thank you for watching
@@recliningbuddha yes, that would be fun to see them react to that.
The science and natural history museums in S Kensington are side by side and the architecture alone from the outside is unbelievable. Thank you for this video.
"the architecture alone..."
Gorgeous, isn't it? Beats those awful Lego buildings any day!
@@RonSeymour1 and the V&A is next to them too and is RAMMED with stuff
Used to live near there as a kid. Often used to go in on a rainy day.
And IIRC just around the corner from the Victoria and Albert Museum.
I've got to say this is one of the best (possibly THE best) reactions I've ever seen to anything on UA-cam. I know exactly where you're coming from because that's exactly how I felt when seeing these artifacts for the first time as an adult and actually being able to appreciate what they were and what they signified. Truly awesome to witness someone else having their mind blown.
Dude. You should have been a history teacher. Why? Because you feel it with a felt connection, which is a rare gift.
Having grown up in London me and my brothers took the museums for granted. We'd been around them a dozen times, in the end get almost blind to their contents. Now I look at them though your eyes and it's a whole different ball game.
I love you enthusiasm and deep appreciation for all that's on display, and now I have that same appreciation all thanks to you.
We are very lucky here in the UK to have long long history, a thousand year old parliament, churches on every corner built in the 11th and 12th century and museums galore. Thank you for redirecting my eyes back to what's smack bang in front of me every day of the week. Mike in Boston UK.
I think you made a great point about what museums do, you really feel the connection when you are standing right in front of it.
i would like to add, ty for appreciating history and risig ur eyes beyond ur own shore ... lets preseve it, and teach it to the next generation ..
As a Brit, I think we take "old" for granted, because of our history and heritage. To have someone like you bring so much enthusiasm and passion to history makes me hopeful - not just that people can still be interested in something that happened 5000 years ago, but also break the stereotypes that go with a country. Thank you for breaking those sterotypes and reigniting my emotion for history!
If you get to visit again try out the Natural History, Science, Geological and the Victoria & Albert museums all in South Kensington all worth a visit. It's lovely to hear you had an epiphany about how linked we still are with our past.
Ive been following you for a while. And can i just say your passion and respect for our country is massively appreciated. Your attempt at cooking our food was superb, very very good effort , our kids nowadays will not come close. I only wish more English shared your passion and love for our country 💯👍
Nothing better than experiencing everything first hand. Brilliant video and Sunday bests !
You ARE a history buff. It was a pleasure watching this film
Thank you
Sir, you say you're not a history buff but I can tell you, you've got something that links you with those at the top of the academic tree - and that's enthusiasm and a thirst to learn. To have that spark to fire your imagination and to absorb so much that comes from our ancient forefathers is a priceless gift. So much of what's wrong with the world is a result of not understanding what has come before and not learning lessons from the past. We need more people like you.
I'm from the north of England and very rarely get to London so thanks for your London vlogs plus British history, fascinating stuff please keep them coming.
Love your reaction to the museum....your enthusiasm was infectious, and quite humbling. Thanks!
Really glad you enjoyed your visit to our small island. If/when you come again, there are more museums waiting for you. I'd also recommend trying to make it across to Bath/Bristol.
It's one thing to have an emotional reaction, quite another to be able to clearly articulate why. Loved your reaction.
Said it before but I love your wide eyed enthusiasm, it's obvious you are excited by history, as said below you would make a great guide, and the wonder has not died since you went home , now that's value for money even though it was free 😂 great vid both of you .
The Natural History Museum is a great building to visit. The actual facade of the museum is a work of art in its own right.
Being the mindset of a 5 year old in a museum is just superb , lovely video both ..🇬🇧🇺🇸
The British museum is one of the most beautiful places in the city of London and it educates people for free I So hate it when other countries around the world tell us it’s ours and we have taken it for our own gains , as Americans it brings me joy to see you guys enjoying these artefacts from all over our world for every one from the world to enjoy for free if you were in another country you would be paying for the privilege
I was so moved by your reaction. It was, a joy to see. Thank you so much ❤️
Absolutely loved your reaction to seeing inside the British Museum for the first time. Such awe and enthusiasm. Kind of loved your wife repeatedly saying ‘ You can see a real mummy’ too.
Keep on with your reaction videos of your adventures and what you found amazing on your travels. What you do is inspiring to many of us watching you both 👍
Thank you 😊
Good reaction! Nice to see such passion. It is a marvellous museum, as are all the London museums. A few years ago my eight year old son and I did an overnight stay at London’s Natural History Museum. There were quite a few people attending, spread throughout the museum. He and I slept in sleeping bags on the floor next to Guy the gorilla. We did a treasure hunt through the dinosaur gallery in the dark. And in the morning they gave us a really good breakfast. The London museums really are superb.
The British Museum has a site on UA-cam that is well worth looking at, especially the series of Curators Corner videos, their explanations are easy to follow and aimed at the ordinary person not specialists.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is way older than the Assyrians it dates back to the Sumerians who go back to about 4000 BC so 6000 years ago, it was like ancient classical literature to the Assyrians.
The museum is so large you can’t take it all in on one visit.
Glad you enjoyed it. The world may get smaller when you experience things like these but the mind and understanding gets larger!
As a Brit I have to say the most wonderful museum I have visited is the Getty Villa (a different place from the Getty Museum) in LA. Not only do they show exhibits of ancient times as many other museums do, but they set them in a most remarkable facsimile of a Roman villa (modeled after the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum). A truly amazing and peaceful place.
To really comprehend the scope and scale of artifacts contained within the BM takes several visits. The ancient Egyptian hall is just one area amongst so many.
The museum building itself is mindblowing, and the hundreds of thousands of exhibits on display is a total overload.
A completely amazing place.
Your joy at the artefacts in thr British Museum makes me so happy.
Hope you saw The Natural History Museum too in Kesington - equally as good and The Imperial War Museum - all free - all world class
I can commend the National Portrait Gallery to all visitors to London.
The purpose of a museum is to open the mind and encourage you to research and explore further. So it seemed to have achieved its purpose and its great that you appreciated it so much.
There's a few other spectacular museums in London and actually in quite a few cities around the UK.
The most popular museums in tourist cities like Edinburgh and London usually get quite a few overseas visitors often on school trips.
I absolutely love both of your love for history, so as a professor at Oxford, I formally invite you to spend some time around our university where I will personally show you some of the oldest historical documents on earth. from Shakespeare to the Magna Carta or the hand-written philosophiæ naturalis principia mathematical by Sir Issac Newton. Come and spend time at the oldest university on earth. oh and Harry Potter was filmed there haha.
Loved the reaction man. Loved it. There is nothing to compare with seeing real artefacts up close, seeing the detail, the love with which they were crafted, owned and venerated. You connect to the humanity of it and yes, you realise that it isn’t a Disney film, it’s real history - a story you’re also a part of. And you can connect.
The thing I loved about the British museum, is that because it’s free, you don’t have to try and get your moneys worth by squeezing it all in. As a Londoner you could just wander in and spent an hour or two immersed in one corner, one story, one object.
Know too that what’s on display is just a part of the overall collection. It is one of the planet’s great treasure troves of the human story. It is a precious place.
Another famous Egyptian monument is located on the Embankment on the north side of the River Thames in London. It's a 92ft stone obelisk called Cleopatra's Needle. But it has little to do with Cleopatra. It was built in 1450BC to celebrate the military victories of Ramesses the 2nd. He was the pharaoh mentioned in the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.
I went to the British Museum when I was 12 with my school as I lived in London and later in life I went to Egypt and saw Tutenkhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings and then the coffin in the Cairo Museum (so much gold) and the Pyramids which were behind my hotel. Stayed on a boat for a few days tripping up the Nile.
That would be such an amazing adventure to take, after seeing the mummies I would love to go to Egypt and see the pyramids and the pharaohs.
@@Trippingthroughadventures Its truly unbelievable, loved the whole trip, very hot !! The next year I went to Rome and the Colosseum, I am such a history buff !!
That’s the great thing about living in the UK, literally all of these places are a cheap flight or holiday away, Greece, Egypt, Turkey and all the other places with loads of history are just a short and cheap trip away.
I’m glad you made it to our country.
Many of our museums are completely free but donations are welcome .
And we have many many museums.
I came across a small one when in Wales a few days ago.
And it really felt like stepping back to my childhood of visiting museums.
Thank you so much. I am English, and to a certain extent, although as equally amazed by the artefacts, your American perspective, and even more so your personal reaction, has given me an added appreciation. I probably took the museum a little bit for granted before.
Come back again and see the Sutton Hoo treasure. Amazing craftsmanship from Anglo Saxon Britain.
Glad you enjoyed your visit. I used to work near the British Museum and would occasionally have my lunch there. How cool is that. That Egyptian artefact dated 2,686 BC is actually over 4,700 years ago. Mind blowing.
I never felt a feeling like that before looking at something, it was like my blood was vibrating, the idea of all that in one building.
I went there a year ago and spent some time relating it to what was written about those times in the Bible... Moses, Abraham, Joseph (as effectively Deputy Head/Pharaoh of Egypt) etc...
Your passion affected me so much, I got a lump in my throat! I did not expect that from this video.
The British Museum is amazing. I think I was about 8 years old the first time I went, and as a kid who was really into history (later became a history major) it blew my mind. There are some other fantastic museums in London as well (the Natural History Museum and the Imperial War Museum in particular come to mind), but the British Museum is the one that I always make a point of visiting every time I'm in London, and every time I see something fascinating that I've never seen before. One time I was lucky enough to be there when a huge traveling exhibit of terra cotta warriors from Qin Shi Huang's tomb in China was there, and that was just incredible, especially since I've always been interested in them and it's pretty unlikely I'll ever travel to China to see the site where they were all found.
I absolutely love your passion and enthusiasm. Yes, the British Museum is brilliant as are all of the great National museums in London. And all are free entry. I'm very proud to be a Londoner.... I think the greatest city in the world.
Keep up the videos. I think you are a perceptive and intelligent man with a thoughtful enquiring mind.
Glad you got to experience the British museum, it's one of my favourites
Exiting Harrods the nearest museum is the V&A (600yds) closely followed by the Natural History and Science Museums. The British Museum is over 2 miles away across town.
I've had the good fortune to work at the British Museum. The most astonishing place to enter every day for a day's work. It also has many corridors known only to the people who work there, including a hidden door. Easily the most harmonious melding of modern architecture with an ancient building.
Really happy you enjoyed it. It's great to watch someone be genuinely excited about some of the things you are experiencing.
Obviously if you go to Greece or Egypt etc you will see much more but the British museum is a great collection.
If you ever come back to the UK I highly recommend going to Portsmouth to see the historic dockyard and the Mary Rose there. Different time in history but that will also astound you. It's my favourite museum by far.
I love watching your journey and discovery! Good stuff
Thank you 😊
Hey guys... A little embarrassing but, I as most brits have travelled more in other countries than in our own. I have lived in London for 27 years(out of 60), and have never been to the British museum, so this video blew my mind.
I've been watching your stuff for a while and I love how passionate, authentic and how neutral and eager you are to learn about the human race as who we all belong to. Many thanks.
The greatest thing God did was make us different, life would be so bring if we was all the same. There’s another amazing exhibit of early Islam. (Keep in mind we are devote Christian’s) but to walk and see the artifacts from early Islam. When Mohammed walked the earth. The idea that those where the people who started the Islamic people, outside of the religious aspect of it, the things that the Islamic community brought in the way of society, science, etc.. it was truly amazing
Not paper, papyrus. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it. It's a mind blowing place if you love history. X
Yep - it's a good museum! And in my view, it is especially good in that in covers so many cultures.
However, if you are specifically interested in just Egyptian exhibits, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is mind-blowing - you can easily spend a couple of days in there (just like the British Museum!) and not run out of interesting things to see and learn about... and then you can do some day trips to the Pyramids & Sphinx, Luxor, Karnak and Abu Simbel.
Extra big thumbs up for this video
I find it wonderful that you visit our tiny island and fall in love with our home & culture. god bless both of you, two truly loving people. ❤
I love London. I get a feeling of being home.. Almost everywhere you look there is something historical, and IMO all British history is an extension of American history. The British Museum is overwhelming. Hope you also managed to get to the British Library where you can see the actual Magna Carta. Here in the US an incredibly old building is almost 200 years old. In the UK that's practically new.
I never tire of watching Americans reacting to Britain well it is your motherland 😊
@@kevinwhite981 His last name is Imbweko-click*Afrikaansclickclockfefe
Being a Brit and live just 60 miles from London. I have visited the British Museum countless times. Well worth the visit, as is the Natural History museum. I like to think that if we (Britain) never took these back they could have been destroyed.
Everything in London is so grand and breath taking, when you think you seen the best, you turn a corner and get taken back again.
@@Trippingthroughadventures Careful not to turn too many corners though 😆
People often wildly exaggerate how rough and dangerous London is, it's generally a pretty safe city. But most of it isn't all grand and inspiring haha...
One point to note, a constructive criticism of sorts, is please include criticism of the UK where you see negatives, as these would be equally interesting for us (probably majority UK viewers) to hear about from you guys.
I've seen almost no disrespect in the comments so I'm sure the British audience would handle it well.
@@georgehh2574 we will eventually but we want to build up with our followers that we love the uk before we criticize it.
I'm grateful to be able to go to the British museum and see things I would never be able to see otherwise, and to be able to see things that otherwise m8ght not even exist any more.
I absolutely love your enthusiasm! Imagine if we could give our children that same feeling for learning history.
Your passion is infectious in the best possible way. You both have it and don't ever lose it.
As a Londoner I know that often people forget that these places are here, I was lucky & visited the museums often as a child which really opened up my mind, I fell in love with the natural history museum, easily my fave, I love this vid, it’s so wonderful that people still appreciate how important this stuff is & the fact that it’s free to see makes me so happy
lol i like how you say the bit of the Sphinx was over 2000 years ago. That'll be over 4000 years ago 🙂
I love the British museum, natural history, the science museum, and the V&A, I take my children to them all the time. They are amazing. Anyone that says we should give stuff back, I say no, lol, they didn't want it, they wouldn't look after it and we are the keepers of history. Love your channel, I hope you cone back soon 🏴🙂
We are coming back very soon and hopefully I will be able to take my kids there, but I am coming back to this place day one. I’m in love with this place it is truly amazing. Thank you for the kind words.
@Trippingthroughadventures excellent. The British museum has its own channel, maybe check out prof Irvin Finkell talking about the oldest map, which is in the British museum, he is brilliant, he's like a wizard, you'll love him, he's so passionate. One of my favourite exhibits is the sutton hoo exhibit, but I love it all. The natural history, science museum, and the V&A are all next to each other, I popped into the V&A to show my children my favourite door, yes I have a favourite door! Lol, I'd send you a pic, but I can't on here, my six year old daughter tried to walk through it lol, the member of staff freaked out lol, I thunk she thought she would end up in Narnia or something, so funny. It says everywhere not to touch in the British but I can't help myself, I have a sneaky touch so I can feel more connected to the past. What can I say, I'm a rebel so I can't blame my daughter for trying to walk through the door lol
@@Trippingthroughadventures if your kids are like most, the Science Museum will be their favourite, as it is one of the most interactive. If you have boys, and they have the typical interests of boys, make sure to visit The Imperial War Museum too. The Natural History Museum is also absolutely top-tier and worth a whole day to explore in its own right. The only 'museum-like' thing I'd suggest to avoid as extremely disappointing is The London Dungeon which, compared to so many wonderful free museums, is a *very* cheap money-grab and always has been. You'll learn a lot, lot more about London and its history from the many monuments, from The Tower of London, from the Victoria & Albert Museum (The V&A), and so on.
That all said, as you probably now know, thousands of years of history are all around you just walking around London *if* you know not so much _where_ to look, but _how_ to look. There are literal sections of Roman walls still in place, there's some excavated Roman baths and villas, not to mention sections of road, and that's just the Roman history. History from the Dark Ages, the Medieval times, and the Renaissance are literally just all around you in certain places, especially in the place names. Ancient Guilds are *still* actually operating and part of the pageantry and tradition of The City of London (look up Doggett's Coat and Badge Race for example). And of course, more modern history, such as Victorian and Georgian, the age of the Great British Empire, are so commonplace that they are ubiquitous and everywhere, but most noticeable in the parks, the monuments, the statuary, and many great buildings - and completely taken for granted.
We should give back historical artefacts if the country is in a stable position to preserve them and requests them to be returned.
No need to be ignorant and nationalistic about this.
Even if artefacts weren't stolen, there's a lot of middle ground between outright theft at gunpoint and willingly sold.
Such as pressure being applied or compensating them in exchange for taking them, I'm just saying.
Each country deserves to teach its own history to future generations.
@@britishknightakaminininja1123 I can especially vouch for the Imperial War Museum being excellent for war history and military technology enthusiasts.
It's especially nice as it's one of the few major museums where you can see it all in one visit.
I grew up 20 minutes walk from the BM. It totally inspired my childhood. Walking around in the ancient world. Its mind blowing.
I have visited the British Museum only twice in my life but it is amazing and you need to stay for at least a day. I loved your reaction to seeing all these ancient artifacts, it reminded me of when I was working behind the bar in an Orkney Hotel and a elderly man from Texas had just returned from visiting the stone -age village of Scara Brae and he said -" Man, that place is older than the Bible!"
Americans have a sense of history but until we witness it, we don’t get a true idea, it’s almost like a disconnection from Hollywood when we finally do see it.
I don’t think a lot of people looked over to the uk and said “the best part of the Uk is Harry Potter” I think that’s just a connection or first interest. Then once we get there, we are in places like St. Paul’s and we are swept away and we switch to “ yea okay can you shut up about the kids movie and stairs for a second and tell me how you managed to build something so massive and what’s up with the crypt?!” 😂🤣😂
I'm so glad I've seen someone else have exactly the same reaction as I did walking into The British Museum. Isn't it just great! I remember standing in front of the Rosetta Stone with my mouth wide open, and just wished I had more time to see everything!
A lot of the exhibits in the British Museum were either saved or bought hundreds of years ago. The countries they originated from placed little to no value to them and were quite willing to sell or destroy them but hundreds of years later they've decided they want them back. We knew the inherent significance and value of them all those years ago and saved them for the future of mankind, preserving the history for all to see free of charge.
I live in Florida but am English. Londoner in fact Just want to say thankyou for shedding some light on the British Museum. I have spent days visiting this glorious place and could still spend a month or two walking around there and still not see everything I would wish to. I have traveled a bit and yes the Natural History Museum and Westminster Abbey are up there. As regards Egyptian history Cairo Museum is getting better and up there. When I first went thought there was more damage happening to the artifacts than conserving. Anyways back to the British Museum it is simply magnificent. Don't forget the glass dome is only 22 odd years and made a huge impact. You use the term mind blown a fair number of times I think I was 6 when I went first the last time was 3 years ago. Still want to go back !
This is quite amazing to get an outsider's view of this, 'cos for us Brits, The British Museum is just "there". I'm not from London, but the Museum is absolutely my favourite place and I always go when I visit the capital - but it doesn't blow me away the same as it must for foreigners - particularly from the States, where nothing is very old. I guess other Europeans can take it more in their stride.
I have watched a video that you may like which kinda follows on from this video but is more British centric.. I think it will also blow your mind.. the video is called 'what have the British ever done for us' . Alot of people like to focus on the terrible parts of history but I find this video as a Brit so inspiring.
I’m going to look into this one this week
I like the picture of you going into "some museum" because you needed to use the bathroom, and then becoming aware of what you, and anyone (with a tourist visa), can see for free there.
Love your enthusiasm. Hopefully you can share many more discoveries of all kinds.
Great video guys - this is probably the greatest museum in the world. I wish that every Brit and every tourist get to see these fantastic exhibits - it is so beautifully laid out for the world to see .
so good to see someone really moved that way , thank you
I'm so glad you enjoyed the British museum. It had a very similar impact on me when I was a teen. It's hard to take it all in isn't it, it's overwhelming.
Education frees the Imagination, I had my imagination freed because of My Junior School Head-Master, at Assembly, one morn who Asked us to let our young minds feel the notes in the Music and let that emotion carry us, here and their, and then as a sixties child, was the first time, I realised Music is the Doorway to another land,
This really took me back, I haven’t been to the British museum since I was child. Me and my
Friends had such a great time running wild around the museums in London, the natural history museum was my favourite. Did you visit Hamley’s toy shop when you came to London? I was chased out by security in my teens lmao.
Awesome video guys 😊
Thoroughly enjoyed that. Glad you enjoyed your visit
Thank you
Love your enthusiasm.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed the museum. I try and go at least once a year.
06:30 Remember something from 2000 BC is not 2000yrs old, it’s 4000yrs old…double mind blow! Great video all round, much better than Harrods 😂
Way better than harrods 😂
Loved your commentary. New eyes and enthusiasm woke me up as I am an archaeologist and have been here many times. Will have to go back now and start over. Many thanks and well done.
We sometimes don’t appreciate what we have in the UK and in Europe but having museums that are free to enter is a huge bonus, many schools run school trips to them and benefit from making history a bit more real. I often took my child and several others to the museums and they always enjoyed the experience
What came across from your description was the sense of humility and respect the museum leaves you with. It's all so unfathomably valuable, but it's free to see and within arm's reach (Although everyone's too overcome by a sense of reverence and privilege to go around touching things!).
If you have time you must also visit the Natural History Museum!
Your enthusiasm is so infectious, so touching. Love the emotion.
The Assyrian section is my favorite part of the British Museum. My daughter used to be treated in nearby Great Ormond Street hospital and we would always go there afterwards and choose a section to visit, but we would always find ourselves in the Assyrien section before we went home.
I hope you got to look at the British Anglo-Saxon, Roman and Viking galleries too. Some of the hoards in there are amazing and the Sutton Hoo finds are breathaking
Glad you both enjoyed museum there,s so mutch history in uk, at school we went on loads of field trips like Royal Armouries in Leeds and Kirkstall Abbey Hadrians Wall
If I could spend the rest of my days exploring the history in the uk…. I’d be a happy person. It’s just unreal, we truly don’t know history in the states.
Just randomly walking into one the worlds oldest, biggest and greatest museums is pretty wild. You could spend a week in there and not see it all, and thats just maybe 10% of what they have in the archives
My favourite place is the crystal hall or yea and the library hall is pretty cool.
I think that you can get a research pass to go in after hours as well.
Cool place and love the way it's free.
Great Video. I was listening to this snoozing and thought Charlie Sheen was presenting.😂
This is a joyful video. Never change guys - loving your vids, from London :)
Excellent stuff. The most famous museum in the world by far.
You are impressed by the Egyptians, next time you’re are in the UK try the Orkney isles, the site of Skara Brae predate the Pyramids by centuries and now a new older find has just been discovered
This shows how important it is to gather together such a diverse and significant body of object together for the World to enjoy for free.
Every city in the UK has a museum which will contain some items from around the world. Manchester Museum has an Egyptian section with several mummies. It's amazing to be able to see historical treasures near to your home. Most people would never get to see these items unless they could afford to visit every country of their origin. Some bronzes were returned not so long ago to somewhere in Africa.
I really love your appreciation of it all.