The Museums Island was declared a UNESCO heritage site due to the number of museums on the Island and the architectural importance of the Island's buildings. Friedrich William the 4th, king of Prussia, dedicated the Island to host Arts and Science museums.
The Old Museum is the oldest on the Island, dated back to 1830. The New Museum was founded 30 years later, destroyed almost entirely in WWII, and rebuilt in 2009 with displays of ancient Egyptian art and pre-historic exhibits. The Old National Gallery was built in 1876 and hosted the most significant 19th-century sculptures and paintings collection in Germany. It was also destroyed in WWII and reopened in 2001. The Buda Museum at the tip of the Island presents sculptures from the Renaissance and Byzantian arts. Finally, the Pergamon Museum is the most known museum on the Island. It displays a collection of Classical Antiquities, Islamic art, and near east art. The most prominent exhibits are the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate.
The Island also housed the Berliner Stadtschloss, a Baroque royal palace from the 15th century. However, they decided to rebuild it from the ground because of its severe damage – I hope they will open it soon. Another iconic building is the Berliner Dom – A vast cathedral built at the end of the 19th century.
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