Arc+de+Triomphe+(Brussels)


 * Arc de Triomphe (Brussels) **

The Arc de Triomphe in Brussels is the centerpiece for the public park named “Parc du Cinquantenaire.” This park was created in 1880 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence. The easternmost part of the European Quarter in Belgium is inhabited by this 74 acre park. Most of the U-shaped buildings found in this park were created around 1880. King Leopold II, the ruler of Belgium at the time, instructed the Belgian government to build these monuments. The structures were built with iron, glass, and stone to symbolize the economic prosperity of Belgium.

The north end of the park is occupied by the Royal Military Museum. The museum was moved to Cinquantenaire Park in 1923, after an exhibition of military equipment was received well in 1910. Following the Great War, the collection had approximately 900 pieces. However, many donations have been made, and now the collection has equipment from every race and every country. The north wing on the Royal Military Museum houses the aviation hall. The north-western corner of the park is tenanted by the Great Mosque of Brussels. This is the oldest Mosque in Brussels and is the seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium. The object of this centre is to get to know Islam better and to teach people Arabic. Sadly, lack of funding during the World Wars caused the buildings to deteriorate.

In the southern end of the park, there is the Cinquantenaire Art Museum and the AutoWorld Museum. The art museum has several parts. In one part, artifacts from prehistory to the Merovingian Age (715 AD) are on display. Artifacts of antiquity from Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome are exhibited in another area. Non-European artifacts from China, Japan, Korea, pre-Columbian America, and the Islamic World are presented as well. In the final section, European decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the 20th century are displayed. The AutoWorld Museum is a vintage car institution with over 350 cars, including limousines that were once owned by the Royal Belgian family.

Most of the original structures that were built in 1880 were reconstructed in 1905. King Leopold II had to fight with the Belgian government to finish this project, because the government did not want to pay the hefty price to complete it. However, King Leopold II got what he wanted, and the buildings were restored. The structure that was originally supposed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence was completed just in time for its 75th anniversary.