The British Museum

General view of the exterior of the British Museum during a cloudy day with showers, with tourists and visitors entering and departing. The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. The Greek Revival facade facing Great Russell Street is a characteristic building of Sir Robert Smirke, with 44 columns in the Ionic order 45 ft. The pediment over the main entrance is decorated by sculptures by Sir Richard Westmacott depicting The Progress of Civilisation, consisting of fifteen allegorical figures, installed in 1852 with the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom waving on a pole on top. London, UK on September 2024 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)