Today marks International Museum Day, which was established by the International Council of Museums in 1977 as a way to engage its members – which now total 37,000 – in events and discussions around museology and the role of museums in the world.
It's hard to put an exact number on how many museums exist globally – organisations and researchers have proposed estimates of at least 55,000 in more than 200 countries.
Even in antiquity there is evidence of people collecting and preserving objects. But our modern definition of a museum has its roots in 17th to 18th-century Europe, where collections were placed on display in public squares and churches. This practice grew alongside expanding empires that extracted objects from their colonies, as well as the arrival of the Enlightenment.
Tracing the histories of six of the world's oldest museums reveals how these institutions and collections were built, and the ever-changing nature of these spaces today.
Ashmolean Museum
The foundations of this institution go back to Elias Ashmole, an English politician and lawyer who gave his collection of artefacts and other oddities to the University of Oxford, which constructed a building to house the objects. It opened to the public in 1683.
The museum is still open and running in Oxford, and its collection includes archaeological objects and fine art, such as Greek marbles, majolica pottery, antiquities from ancient Egypt, and artworks by Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
Capitoline Museums
It has been referred to as the oldest museum in the world – the Musei Capitolini in Rome was created in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of bronzes to the city.
The museum's collection soon grew to include Roman inscriptions, Medieval and Renaissance art, coins and jewels, and it eventually opened to the public in 1734.
Currently run by the municipality of Rome, the museum includes three main palazzos, as well as an open plaza. Among its most famous objects is the Capitoline Wolf, which tells the mythical story about the founding of Rome.
The British Museum
With its permanent collection of at least eight million works, The British Museum in London reflects the reach and power of the British Empire, but its history has also brought in controversy and debate about the restitution and repatriation of artefacts.
Established in 1753 by an Act of Parliament during the reign of King George II, it is considered the world's first public national museum and it began welcoming visitors in 1759.
Among the highlights of its collection are the Elgin or Parthenon Marbles from Greece that date back to about 447 to 4398 BC, as well as Egypt's Rosetta Stone. It possesses more than 100,000 Egyptian antiquities, and objects from the Classical world and the Middle East.
Louvre Museum
The most-visited museum in the world, the Louvre in Paris opened in 1793. Today, it contains more than 380,000 objects and 35,000 artworks, including Leonardo's Mona Lisa.
From about the 16th century, the building was used as a palace for the French monarchy before Louis XIV left it for the Palace of Versailles in 1682 with the royal collection kept inside.
Over the next century, art academies thrived in the Louvre until the National Assembly, born out of the French Revolution, ordered the building to be turned into a museum, housing objects from Napoleon’s reign and the royal collections.
Prado Museum
The Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid contains objects from the Spanish Royal Collection and houses an impressive range of the country's art.
The building was designed in 1785 and was eventually assigned by a member of the Spanish monarchy as a venue to keep its collection of paintings and sculptures, but also to bolster the image of the Spanish Crown.
In 1819, the museum opened to the public for the first time and it currently has more than 7,000 paintings in its collection. Among its most notable works is Diego Velazquez's Las Meninas, which depicts Margaret Theresa of Spain as a child surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting. The painting is prized for its unique composition, with Velazquez playing with perspective and focal points, showing subjects who seemingly look out to the viewer.
The museum’s collection also includes masterpieces by Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch and Titian.
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, came to be through the efforts of Empress Catherine the Great. A strong supporter of the arts and education, she prompted the construction of the museum with the intent of housing and showcasing her collection of various items, which included paintings, books and sculpture.
The museum was founded in 1764 and it opened to the public in 1852, housing a large number of items – close to three million – from prehistoric art and antiquities to jewellery and European art, as well as a collection of Central Asian art.
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Read more:
How Louvre Abu Dhabi is looking at the future
Bonhams sale of Madhloom and Makiya collections reunites two bastions of Iraqi art
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Company%20profile
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Arrab, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mahaleel, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
3.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handicap (TB) Dh200,000 2,000m; Winner: Dolmen, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Amang Alawda, Sandro Paiva, Bakhit Al Ketbi.
4.15pm: The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m; Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
4.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: Al Jazi, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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