LONDON: A medieval masterpiece has triggered a modern-day frenzy at the British Museum, where soaring demand for the "Bayeux Tapestry" has left visitors facing hours-long waits and, in some cases, unable to enter the exhibition at all.
In response, the museum is extending hours, adding benches, improving signs and introducing an audio guide to make the experience smoother for the crowds expected to flock to the display.
The British Museum announced the changes after complaints over congestion and lengthy delays surrounding the 11th-century embroidered masterpiece, which has drawn extraordinary public interest since going on display in September.
A museum spokesperson said the response to the tapestry had been exceptional but acknowledged that some visitors had waited far longer than expected.
The pressure became particularly intense last week, when hundreds of ticket holders were turned away after the museum closed while a backlog of visitors remained. Some visitors reported waiting as long as two hours before reaching the exhibition.
For those who had planned their trips around seeing the historic artwork, the experience was especially frustrating. Some visitors described the visit as a major event they had eagerly anticipated, only to find themselves caught in lengthy lines and unable to see the tapestry.
The museum apologized to those who were unable to enter and said affected ticket holders would receive refunds and opportunities to reschedule their visits.
Additional tickets are scheduled to be released in October and January, giving unsuccessful visitors another chance to see the celebrated artwork. The first ticket release generated exceptionally high demand, with the initial dates selling out.
Adult tickets currently cost £33 during standard periods and £27 during off-peak times, with some lower-priced time slots also available.
The Bayeux Tapestry is a roughly 70-meter-long embroidered cloth that tells the dramatic story of the Norman Conquest of England, led by William, Duke of Normandy, and the Battle of Hastings in 1066 across 58 scenes. The work depicts key events, prominently featuring Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. Since 2007, it has been inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
Despite its name, the work is technically an embroidery rather than a true tapestry, since the images are stitched rather than woven into the fabric. It was worked in wool thread on a coarse linen ground using four different stitches and ten natural dye colors.
The surviving piece depicts 623 human figures, 994 animals, 438 plants, 37 buildings and fortifications, 41 ships and boats, and a vast array of other objects. The narrative runs from the final years of the reign of Edward the Confessor in 1064 through the Battle of Hastings.
The centuries-old artwork is being displayed in London on loan from France while its usual home in Bayeux, Normandy, undergoes changes. It is scheduled to remain at the British Museum until July 11, 2027.
For the British Museum, however, the challenge now extends beyond showcasing a historic treasure. It must also find a way to manage unprecedented demand without allowing the crowds to overshadow the experience of seeing one of Europe's most famous medieval artworks.
With more tickets expected to become available and new measures being introduced, the museum is hoping to turn the Bayeux Tapestry experience from a test of patience back into the cultural event visitors came to London to enjoy.
