One day before my fellowship admission ceremony at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, I was sitting in my room and surfing the net. I found that a museum in Glasgow, the Burrell Collection, houses some artifacts from Mesopotamia.
That’s great! I hired a taxi and went there. I arrived at 10:30 AM. It lies within Pollok Country Park, about 5 kilometers south of the Glasgow city center. In the year 1944 CE, Sir William Burrell, a Scottish philanthropist, art collector, and shipping merchant donated this magnificent collection of a multitude of artifacts to the city of Glasgow. The building is L-shaped and was opened in 1983 CE.
I was the very first visitor that day! The entry is free. Once you enter, you will see the information desk and some gift shops. The employees were very friendly; I told them that I came from Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), and I want to see the Mesopotamian artifacts.
Next to the Burrell shop is a small courtyard. It houses the Warwick vase and some bronze statues.
I passed through a façade of a building and found myself within the Ancient Egypt hall and then the section on Ancient Greece and Rome. The Mesopotamian artifacts were few and were displayed within two glass cases near the Hutton Castel Drawing Room. Thereafter, the Chinese, Medieval Europe, and Islamic collections appear. The Burrell Collection houses more than 700 stained glass panels, a collection that is considered one of the greatest assemblies of medieval stained glass in the whole world. There was a very neat café; I sat and enjoyed my hot drink.
Without the generosity of the late Sir Burrell, this marvelous collection of world-wide art would have not been accessible. I spent a wonderful and unforgettable time! Viva Glasgow!
