Belfast’s Ulster Museum: Over 2,500 Years Of History

The dramatic Welcome Zone

The dramatic starting point in this landmark building allows you to wander through the Window on Our World Zone. The Window on Our World gallery provides a glimpse of the beauty and breadth of the objects displayed throughout the museum. The glass and polished steel structure showcase an eye-catching display of Belfast’s Ulster Museum’s most iconic objects. These remarkable objects, both natural and manmade, come from places far and wide and span thousands of years. They illustrate the stories and creativity of the people who made them and the richness and wonder of the world we live in. On the hour, every hour, experience some of the most extraordinary sights and sounds of our world. Enjoy the drama and splendor of nature and witness some fascinating stories of people through the ages.

Takabuti mummy

Ancient Egypt was among the most prosperous countries in the world and its civilization was one of the oldest. The mummy of Takabuti represents this ancient time and place. One of the most popular exhibits at the museum is the Takabuti Mummy. Takabuti was the first mummy to be brought to Ireland and only the second to be unwrapped in the British Isles. Takabuti was the mistress of a grand house in Thebes, Egypt, now known as Luxor. The mummified body of Takabuti first arrived in Belfast in April 1834. Her unwrapping took place on January 27th, 1835 and she was revealed to the public later that year.

Extinct wildlife on display

The world’s largest deer antlers are on display. They belonged to a deer that became extinct in Ireland nearly ten thousand years ago. The antlers on the skull span more than 2.8 meters (9.18 ft). However, the largest antlers on record span more than 3.6 meters (11.8 ft). The giant deer was a close cousin to the fallow deer, which is still alive today, but had far bigger antlers than you might expect just from comparing their body sizes.

The Edmontosaurus dinosaur was surprisingly a defenseless plant eater given its exceptional size. With a similar mass of an elephant, it is also considered small compared to other dinosaurs. First thought to be discovered in Alberta, Canada in 1917, it was actually first discovered in 1892. The toothless, duck-billed dinosaur was named after the Edmonton formation in which it was discovered, also known as the Horseshoe Canyon Formation, in Alberta, Canada. The Edmontosaurus was approximately 42 feet (13 meters) long, weighed approximately 8,000 pounds (,4000 kilograms), and lived approximately 70-million years ago. Along with the Edmontosaurus dinosaur skeleton and the Triceratops, you have the opportunity to view tens of thousands of other fossils in the Deep Time gallery in the museum.

Ancient jewels

St. Patrick’s Regalia was a product of the Order of St. Patrick, established in 1738, at a time when there was a great demand for independence in Ireland. It was a membership used to reward Irish nobility for loyalty to the Crown. Observe the details in the all gold collar once worn by the Earl of Shaftesbury. It joins six harps to seven roses with fourteen knots. This membership nor the gold collar would stop the United Irish rebellion of 1798.

On display, you will see one piece from the extravagant 16th century collection of jewelry recovered from the ship, the Spanish Armada galleass, Girona, off the coast of Ireland. The ‘winged lizard’, or little salamander is made of gold with rubies inset. It was believed the salamander could not only survive fire, but also put fire out. Thus, making it a very powerful good luck charm on all wooden fighting ships.

Over the ages

Tools and weapons were first made from iron during the Iron Age; however, bronze was still frequently used. An important part of the museum’s Iron Age collection is a beautifully decorated Bronze Bann Disc. The Bann Disc, which was dredged from the River Bann, is considered one of the finest examples of Celtic design of this period.

Found locally in Belfast at Danesfort, on Malone Road, is the museum’s rare collection of Stone Age axes. Known as the Malone Hoard, the axes are made from porcellanite.

The 19th Earl of Kildare had a Toilet Service commissioned for his wife. The Kildare Toilet Service comes from the dressing room in the 18th century. It is the largest silver gilt toilet set known to date and is on display at the museum.