I Am Ashurbanipal - ★★★★★ - Until February 21, 2019


Never heard of Ashurbanipal? A reminder that empires come and go and we all live with an illusion of our permanence. The story of this educated, but brutal, Assyrian monarch is fascinating and very well told. The display completely captures the imagination and reminds us of a civilization that existed around 600 BCE and which was literate, had an amazing library and created impressive and beautiful monuments and works of art. They even had a postal system! The story of the conquests and the activities of the royal court are quite entrancing and the use of light to highlight the narratives carved in stone works brilliantly. We only wished it had been used on even more exhibits. The conclusion of the exhibit with a look as to what has happened in modern day Iraq is heartbreaking. But even in this reminder that the our own civilization is also temporal and sometimes a very thin veneer covering the dark forces of barbarism, there is hope for a new generation which can value and learn from an amazing past. Not to be missed.

Reviewed by J.C.

 Our Score:   

COST: £17 (Concessions available)

WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until February 24, 2019
Daily: 10 am - 5:30 pm & Fri till 8:30 pm, before closing.
Time slots every 10 minutes. Last entry 80 minutes before closing.
British Museum
Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road or Holborn

Most Popular

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Knocking on the Wall ★★★★ Finborough Theatre | Oct 31 - Nov 25, 2023

Mates in Chelsea ★★★ Royal Court Theatre | Nov 3 - Dec 16, 2023

Sleeping Beauty Takes A Prick ★★★★★ Charing Cross Theatre | Nov 23, 2023 - Jan 13, 2024

The Mongol Khan ★★★★ London Coliseum | Nov 17 - Dec 2, 2023

Discover Liotard & The Lavergne Family Breakfast ★★★★★ The National Gallery | Until March 3, 2024 (Free Entry)

£1 Thursdays ★★★ Finborough Theatre | Nov 28 - Dec 22, 2023

Peter Pan Goes Wrong ★★★★ Lyric Theatre | Nov 23, 2023 - Jan 14, 2024

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen ★★★★★ Bush Theatre | Until December 23, 2023

To Have and To Hold ★★★★ Hampstead Theatre | Until November 25, 2023

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings