Museum Island
As early as 1841, King Frederick William IV. designated part of the Spree island a "sanctuary for art and antiquities".Today, over 600,000 years of human history are presented here in five grand museums: the Old Museum (Altes Museum) showing classical Roman, Greek and Etruscan art, the splendidly restored New Museum (Neues Museum), home to Queen Nefertiti at the Egyptian Museum the Old National Gallery (Alte Nationalgalerie) with its collection of 19th century paintings, the Bode Museum displaying the Sculpture Collection, the Pergamon Museum with its great antique architecture, including the famous Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon.In 1999, the museums and their collections were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Pergamonmuseum
Resurrecting the Walls of Babylon
When archeologist Robert Koldewey uncovered the ancient metropolis of Babylon, he found a hundred thousand pieces of stone. It was his student Walter Andrae who solved the giant puzzle - and re-erected the Ishtar Gate, one the Wonders of the World…▶ The Museum of Islamic Art▶ Babylon
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Spiral Branching Carpet
Groups of lions, leopards, antelope, and Chinese unicorns romp about in between blossoming tendrils with palmettes and flowers – a wonderful carpet that must have been made around 1610 for a wealthy prince in Lahore , then part of the Mogul Empire.▶The Museum of Islamic Art▶ Lahore
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Ceramic Zodiac Plate
This unique plate was made in Persia in 1563. It shows the signs of the zodiac as handed down from classical antiquity but with clear East Asian influence. This way, it incorporates the fusion of Western and Eastern traditions in Islamic art…▶The Museum of Islamic Art▶ Iran
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The Egyptian Museum
Geographical Distribution of Cults
It trip along the Nile following gods and goddesses. The Ancient Egyptian religion comprised a virtually infinite number of deities, and many of them can be assigned to a specific place where they were revered in particular…▶ The Berlin Egyptian Museum▶ Egypt
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The Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead is an illustrated papyrus dating back to around 1150 B.C. While his heart is weighed on the scales of justice, the deceased pleads his case before Osiris. If he fails he will be consumed by the Devourer of Souls…▶ The Berlin Egyptian Museum▶ Akhmim
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The Mummy Masks
When somebody dies, they leave the realm of the living to reside among the gods. The mummy is needed for the transformation into an immortal being; each body part can be associated to a god. And, as the Egyptians wrote, gold is the flesh of the gods…▶ The Berlin Egyptian Museum▶ Thebes
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