What is the British Museum?
The British Museum in London is one of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture. Founded in 1753, it holds about eight million objects, including the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures.
The museum was established by an Act of Parliament in 1753, based on the collection of physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. It opened to the public in 1759 and was the first national public museum in the world.
Its building in Bloomsbury, with its grand Greek Revival front, was designed by Robert Smirke and completed in the mid-1800s. The Great Court, with its glass roof, opened in 2000.
Famous objects
Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, which helped scholars decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton Hoo treasure and the Lewis Chessmen.
Some objects, such as the Parthenon sculptures, also called the Elgin Marbles, are the subject of debates about whether they should be returned to their countries of origin.
Entry to the British Museum is free, and it attracts millions of visitors each year. Temporary exhibitions, which may charge a fee, focus on cultures and periods from around the world.