Altes Museum (Old Museum)

– © Wolfgang Scholvien

The Altes Museum (Museum of the Ancient World) is one of five museums on Berlin's Museum Island. Built between 1823 and 1830 according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, it is one of the foremost examples of classical architecture. The permanent exhibition entitled “New Antiquity in the Old Museum" (collection of classical antiquities and gold treasury) presents Greek and Roman art and sculptures.

The newly designed main floor of the building houses an exhibition of stone sculptures, clay and bronze figures, friezes, vases, gold jewellery and precious silverware from Greek antiquity. Roman art is represented by portraits of Caesar and Cleopatra, sarcophagi, mosaics, frescos and Roman-Egyptian mummy portraits. The main highlight, the art of the Etruscans, will go on show in full when major restoration work on the building is complete.