A new museum, and a call for the return of the Parthenon Marbles

Photo by Peter Mauss/Courtesy of The Acropolis Museum

Greece officially opened its majestic new Acropolis Museum Saturday night with pomp and ceremony — and an impassioned call for the reunification of the famous Parthenon Marbles.

About half the surviving marbles, the sculptures that adorned the 5th century B.C. temple, are at the British Museum in London, which has long resisted calls for their return to Athens. The long-awaited Acropolis Museum, a commanding structure of black glass and concrete that was more than 30 years in the making, finally provides a fitting home for the thousands of treasures found during excavations of the Acropolis.

The centerpiece of the museum is the spectacular Parthenon gallery, where Swiss-American architect Bernard Tschumi has designed the perfect showcase for the Parthenon sculptures. The top floor glass gallery is aligned with the famous building, which can be seen through the walls.

For the first time in more than 200 years, since Lord Elgin removed many of the sculptures from the Parthenon and took them to London, the marbles are laid out in sequence. But nearly half of what is on display in the new museum are replicas, given to Greece by the British Museum in the late 19th century.

Greek officials say they hope the new museum will be a catalyst for the marbles eventual return to Athens.

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/europe/090620/new-museum-and-call-the-return-the-parthenon-marbles