British Museum

Location: Ground floor, Room 4, Egyptian sculpture section

The Rosetta Stone is arguably the most significant artifact in the entire British Museum, a must-see for every visitor. This grey basalt slab, discovered in 1799 by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops in Rosetta, a town on the Nile Delta, is world-renowned. The successful decipherment of its inscribed text in 1822 unlocked the ability to read and translate Egyptian hieroglyphs, opening the door to understanding ancient Egyptian culture, history, and beliefs.

Location: Ground floor, Room 4, Egyptian sculpture section

This stone bust of Ramesses II, arguably the most famous Egyptian pharaoh, stands as a highlight of the museum's Egyptian sculpture section.

Location: Ground floor, Room 18, Greece: Parthenon section

These ancient Greek sculptures, over 2,500 years old, originally adorned the Parthenon and were brought to the United Kingdom in 1801 by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, better known as Lord Elgin. Acquired by the British Museum in 1816, these sculptures remain a point of contention between the UK and Greece, which continues to demand their return.

Location: Ground floor, Room 17, Ancient Greece and Rome section

This grand decorative sculpture from the monument, likely built for Erbinna, ruler of Lycian Xanthos in present-day southwestern Turkey, has been impressively reconstructed and displayed in Room 17. The Nereids, sea nymphs in Greek mythology, were believed to assist sailors through tumultuous storms.

Location: Ground floor, Room 24, Living and Dying section

Within the gallery that explores how people around the world deal with life's harsh realities and death, stands Hoa Hakananai'a, a basalt statue from the Orongo ceremonial center on Rapa Nui, Easter Island.

Location: Ground floor, Room 27, Mexico section

This two-headed serpent sculpture, crafted from turquoise pieces on a wooden base in the 15th or 16th century in what is now Mexico, was used for ritual purposes. This gallery also showcases the Olmec, Maya, and Mixtec cultures.

Location: Upper floors, Rooms 62 - 63, Egyptian death and afterlife: mummies section

Egyptian mummies are another major attraction at the British Museum, including the Mummy of Katebet, one of the most studied and remarkably well-preserved mummies, dating back over 3,300 years. This fascinating section also features sarcophagi, funerary masks, portraits, and other objects intended for burial with the deceased, offering insights into ancient Egyptian beliefs about death and the afterlife, as well as mummification processes, magic, and funerary rituals.

Location: Upper floors, Room 41, Sutton Hoo and Europe section

This spectacular and significant archaeological discovery includes treasures found in 1939 at Sutton Hoo, the site of two 6th- and 7th-century Anglo-Saxon cemeteries, one of which contained a complete burial ship with numerous artifacts, including the famous Sutton Hoo helmet, a Germanic Iron Age artifact.

Location: Upper floors, Room 40, Europe section

These are the most famous chess pieces in the world, carved from walrus ivory in the 12th century and discovered in 1831 buried in a sandbank on the Scottish Isle of Lewis.

The Great Court, the entrance hall of the British Museum, is now the largest covered public square in Europe. Inaugurated in 2000 to celebrate the museum's 250th anniversary, the Great Court was transformed by architect Norman Foster, restoring its former glory. The once-hidden courtyard, concealed from the public for nearly 150 years, is now covered with a glass and steel roof, and named the Queen Elizabeth Great Court, linking the museum's various sections.

At the heart of the Great Court lies the British Museum Reading Room, opened in 1857 and designed by architect Sydney Smirke. This iconic reading room has been the study retreat for notable figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Oscar Wilde, Karl Marx, and Lenin. Although the National Library moved to the current British Library site in 1997, the Reading Room remains open and accessible to the public.