The parthenon marbles a major money making display at the british museum have been the subject of an ongoing dispute between greece and the uk.
Parthenon marbles british museum.
The parthenon sculptures in the british museum.
The trustees of the british museum make the following statement on the museum website in response to arguments for the relocation of the parthenon marbles to the acropolis museum.
It was the centrepiece of an ambitious building programme on the acropolis of athens.
The 2 500 year old sculptures were illegally torn off the parthenon in the 1800s taken to england and sold to the museum in 1816 by lord elgin.
The objects were removed from the parthenon at athens and from other ancient buildings and shipped to england by arrangement of thomas bruce 7th lord elgin who was british.
Controversy over their acquisition by the british museum continues to this day.
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In 1801 a british nobleman stripped the parthenon of many of its sculptures and took them to england.
The temple s great size and lavish use of white marble was intended to show off.
The acropolis museum allows the parthenon sculptures that are in athens to be appreciated against the backdrop of ancient greek and athenian history.