Royal Museum of Central Africa


When the vacation in Belgium is still at the planning stage, but everything has been decided, the fantasy begins to throw up a variety of picturesque pictures, which only provoke and cause tedious anticipation. Of course, like all of Europe, this camp is rich in various monuments of history, and some cities with ancient architecture seem to really carry over into the distant Middle Ages. However, not many will remember the expansion and colonization movements towards Africa. And therefore, with a little bit of surprise, some tourists meet a sign on the classic building "The Royal Museum of Central Africa", the main exposition of which is dedicated to Congo, a country that was once a colony of Belgium .

A bit of history

After Belgium recognized the independence of the Congo in 1884 - 1885, King Leopold II decided to reveal the potential of this African country to foreign investors. And for this it was decided to get acquainted more closely with those in power with the traditions and life of the inhabitants of the Congo. Initially, the museum was called the "Belgian Congo", but since 1960 its name has been changed to the version that we know today. In spite of the fact that originally the exposition of the Royal Museum of Central Africa was oriented towards the Free State of the Congo, as a result it expanded and began to capture also the traditions of nationalities as separate parts of Africa, as well as some attempts to systematize knowledge of the continent as a whole.

Building Architecture

The museum itself is located in the small town of Tevryuren, which is 8 km from the Belgian capital and, roughly speaking, flows smoothly into it. Surprisingly, this organization - the main asset of the city, which is proud of all the local people. Moreover, the Royal Museum of Central Africa is rightly recognized as one of the main museums in Brussels .

As for the building of the Royal Museum of Central Africa, it is somewhat like a palace. Around the vast park area, which pleasantly pleases the eye with a riot of greenery, several fountains and a pond. In addition, near the building of the museum is a monument of authorship of the famous sculptor Tom Frantzen. The creator made the sculpture somewhat ambiguous, invested in its meaning a lot of symbolic moments. The monument was established in 1997 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the exhibition.

Exposition of the Royal Museum of Central Africa

Surprisingly, in the huge and spacious halls behind the windows, only a small part of the collection that the museum possesses is represented. Among the exhibits you can find amazing representatives of the flora and fauna of Africa, mysterious and mystical ritual items of indigenous tribes, as well as household items, musical instruments, works of art and a huge number of photographs. For example, behind the museum showcases you can see the head of a large tiger fish, which is a welcome trophy for every fisherman who trades on the Congo River. In the museum you can see a scarecrow of a rare bird Kitoglav, whose population today is inexorably shrinking and is on the verge of extinction.

Funny is the fact that the stuffed rhinoceroses have no horns. No, this is not a form of protest, as it seems at first glance. The fact is that the museum suffers from an influx of fanatics who see in the horn of the rhino a way of miraculous healing from many ailments. Therefore, this valuable artifact for the sake of safety was removed and transferred to storage in ancillary facilities, as evidenced by the official statement of the museum administration.

A truly rich collection is the Royal Museum of Central Africa in the ethnographic sense. There is a huge collection of musical instruments. By the way, next to the stands hang headphones, trying on which you can hear how this or that instrument sounds. A lot of exhibits are also statuettes and amazing masks, some of which have a ritual meaning. But, perhaps, the most shocking element of the collection of the Royal Museum of Central Africa is an exhibit called Tsansa. It is a specially dried human head: it has a small size, but retains all the basic features of the face.

For visitors, museum funds are available as a separate excursion. For this, you need to go down to the basement. That's where the real treasury of knowledge opens! In addition, there are exhibits, overgrown with their legends, which guides joyfully share with visitors. There is also a separate room, which tactfully tells of the times when Belgium was pursuing a policy of colonization.

How to get there?

To get to the Royal Museum of Central Africa from Brussels , you need to drive to Montgomery metro station, and then to Tervuren Terminus stop by tram no. 44 or by bus number 317, 410.