Historical Museum of Norway, Oslo, Norway

The Historical Museum is part of the Museum of Cultural History, which has the country's largest collection of items from pre-historic times and the Middle Ages found in Norway. The Antiquities Collection shows Norwegian antiquities from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages including outstanding Viking Age and Medieval collections. Guided tours during summer season. The Collection of Coins and Medals displays Norwegian coins and banknotes. The Ethnographic Museum exhibits Egyptian mummies and Antique art, as well as items from non-Western cultures, Arctic expeditions, African cultures, native American cultures and East Asian cultures.

References:

Visit Oslo

User Reviews

Princessx7x3x (2 years ago)
It's beautiful and nice. The museum is closed due to covid-19 but the shop inside is open. It's nice to visit.

Bjørn Dølvik (2 years ago)
Could need some modernization. Lots of plaques to read and very little information regarding the items on exhibition.

Ayoub Aabass (2 years ago)
Extremely small, extremely sparse in its showcases and offers little to no novelty in its contents. I see the inherit value in its existence for the locals but it offers no reason to actually visit it to any foreigner, especially ones that live in countries where similar museums offer similar expositions on a much larger scale and with much more variety.

Ivan Patrishkov (3 years ago)
As a museum it is interesting, the exhibitions are nice and well presented. But the guards were rude. In 15:55 they kicked us out, knowing only two words "closing" and "now". Mind you, nobody told us the closing time prior, else we would make sure we see the whole museum before that.

Adam Marsh (3 years ago)
The museum was set in a beautiful building, very regal and clean. The establishment had a serene feeling and allowed me to soak up the treasures of knowledge stored within the exhibits. Very impressed by the displays, a lot of information to digest and sights to see. The most striking of all exhibits was the Norwegian section which provided a deep dive into the earliest parts of the country's history. Thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend this as a must see for any tourist.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Luiyo

Historic Site of the week

Lorca Castle

Castle of Lorca (Castillo de Lorca) is a fortress of medieval origin constructed between the 9th and 15th centuries. It consists of a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Lorca Castle was a key strategic point of contention between Christians and Muslims during the Reconquista.

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the castle has been inhabited since Neolithic times.

Muslim Era

It has not been determined exactly when a castle or fortress was first built on the hill. The first written documentation referring to a castle at Lorca is of Muslim origin, which in the 9th century, indicates that the city of Lurqa was an important town in the area ruled by Theudimer (Tudmir). During Muslim rule, Lorca Castle was an impregnable fortress and its interior was divided into two sections by the Espaldón Wall. In the western part, there was an area used to protect livestock and grain in times of danger. The eastern part had a neighbourhood called the barrio de Alcalá.

After Reconquista

Lorca was conquered by the Castilian Infante Don Alfonso, the future Alfonso X, in 1244, and the fortress became a key defensive point against the Kingdom of Granada. For 250 years, Lorca Castle was a watchpoint on the border between the Christian kingdom of Murcia and the Muslim state of Granada.

Alfonso X ordered the construction of the towers known as the Alfonsina and Espolón Towers, and strengthened and fixed the walls. Hardly a trace of the Muslim fortress remained due to this reconstruction. Muslim traces remain in the foundation stones and the wall known as the muro del Espaldón.

The Jewish Quarter was found within the alcazaba, the Moorish fortification, separated from the rest of the city by its walls. The physical separation had the purpose of protecting the Jewish people in the town from harm, but also had the result of keeping Christians and Jews separate, with the Christians inhabiting the lower part of town.

The remains of the Jewish Quarter extended over an area of 5,700 square m, and 12 homes and a synagogue have been found; the synagogue dates from the 14th century and is the only one found in the Murcia. The streets of the town had an irregular layout, adapted to the landscape, and is divided into four terraces. The synagogue was in the central location, and around it were the homes. The homes were of rectangular shape, with various compartmentalized rooms. The living quarters were elevated and a common feature was benches attached to the walls, kitchens, stand for earthenware jars, or cupboards.

Modern history

With the disappearance of the frontier after the conquest of Granada in 1492, Lorca Castle no longer became as important as before. With the expulsion of the Jews by order of Ferdinand and Isabella, Lorca Castle was also depopulated as a result. The castle was abandoned completely, and was almost a complete ruin by the 18th century. In the 19th century, the castle was refurbished due to the War of Spanish Independence. The walls and structures were repaired or modified and its medieval look changed. A battery of cannons was installed, for example, during this time. In 1931 Lorca Castle was declared a National Historic Monument.

Currently, a parador (luxury hotel) has been built within the castle. As a result, archaeological discoveries have been found, including the Jewish Quarter.

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