| Among the countless tourist attractions in | | | | Because the British Museum does not charge any |
| contemporary London, such as the Houses of | | | | admission fees, the exception being some temporary |
| Parliament, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace, the | | | | special exhibitions, interested publics from around the |
| one that can easily be considered the unforgettable | | | | globe line up outside its doors waiting to enter its |
| "Queen" amongst them all, is the British Museum. | | | | amazing gallery showrooms and admire the plethora |
| Britain's national museum of archaeology and antiquities | | | | of human creations kept in there. |
| was established by an act of Parliament in 1753, when | | | | But some of its most prestigious holdings, like the |
| the government purchased three large private | | | | Parthenon Marbles and the Benin Bronzes are among |
| collections consisting of books, manuscripts, prints, | | | | its most disputed collections. These collections are the |
| drawings, paintings, medals, coins, seals, cameos, and | | | | subject of great controversy and political debates |
| natural curiosities. Today, home of approximately | | | | since various organizations lobby in favor of their |
| seven million objects from all continents, the British | | | | return to their native countries of Greece and Nigeria |
| museum is considered to be the most popular and | | | | respectively. But regardless of the harsh criticism, the |
| famous museum in the world. | | | | British Museum has refused to return either collection, |
| Located in the Bloomsbury district of London, the British | | | | arguing that if the British Museum was to return to their |
| museum's collections in archaeology and ethnography | | | | original geographical location any of its current |
| are particularly outstanding. Being one of London's | | | | possessions that would mean empty rooms for a |
| principal tourist attractions, the visitor can admire its | | | | great many museums around the world. Although |
| famous holdings, like the Elgin Marbles, carvings from | | | | critics argue that these artifacts, among others, should |
| the Athenian Parthenon, the Rosetta Stone, the | | | | now return to their home countries, the British Museum |
| Portland Vase, the Benin Bronzes, Egyptian Mummies, | | | | continues to support that it is an appropriate custodian |
| and the Chinese ceramics. Its drawings collection holds | | | | and has the inalienable right over these disputed |
| more than 2,000 drawings constituting the world's | | | | creations under British law. Nevertheless, the fact still |
| largest and most comprehensive collections. | | | | remains that the British Museum is one of the most |
| Since it first opened its doors to the public, on January | | | | important London destinations one should not miss |
| 15, 1759 the museum has been illustrating and | | | | visiting when circumstances allow a ride to one of the |
| documenting the story of human development and | | | | most famous and interesting capitals in the world. |
| culture from its early years to the present day. | | | | |