• What is a Museum?

    The English word “Museum” originates from the Greek word “Musaeum” ( or Institution of the Muses). In its original sense in Classical times, the “Musaeum” was a place of learning & intellect, equivalent to what we today call a “University”. It was NOT an institution to display or store Objects. Like a University, apart from spaces for teaching, debate, research & stay, there was a Library to store scrolls & manuscripts. The death of Alexander in 323 BCE appears to have altered the meaning of the “Musaeum” to its current meaning as a place to curate & display objects, for learning.

    Alexander had himself created a well-planned city in Egypt ( Alexandria) as a meeting point of Asia, Africa & Europe. Upon his sudden death in Iraq, the war of succession between his 4 generals started with the ownership & burial of his body. Ptolemy of Egypt hijacked Alexander’s body enroute Greece for burial & brought it to Alexandria in Egypt, for public display at the Musaeum, next to its famous Library. Over the next couple of hundred years, people came from far to see the body of Alexander & the weapons & things he used. There are records of many Roman Kings including Julius Caeser & Mark Antony coming to Alexandria’s Musaeum to see Alexander’s embalmed body & even carry back a souvenir object ( eg. his shield, cup etc.) Somewhere in the 2nd/3rd CE, after Alexandria is gutted in war, the body of Alexander disappeared from the Musaeum & was never found again. But the precedence had been set, new towns built subsequently all had not just big Libraries but Museums to display objects too.

  • What is a City?

    We look at a city as a mix of Culture & Nature.

    We analyze the city in terms of (i) the evolution of the City, (ii) what Work/occupations of the people of the City currently work in, (iii)the co-relation between each type of Work & the Natural surroundings & the historical evolution of the City, (iv) and the diversity of the Citizens living in the City. A complete review of Work, Place & Citizenship results in defining a bio-regional focus for the City.