There are no plans to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece

For decades, Greek authorities have advocated the permanent return of the so-called Parthenon Marbles. About half of the surviving fragments of a 160-metre-long (520-foot) frieze from the Parthenon Temple are in the collection of the British Museum in London.

Athens wants them back permanently, but UK Conservative Party Prime Minister Rishi Sunakhas has once again dashed those hopes. On March 13, he said the marbles are a “huge asset” for the UK and ruled out changing a law that would allow the sculptures, also known as the “Elgin Marbles”, to be returned to Greece.

“The UK has looked after Elgin Marbles for generations,” said Sunak. “Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a great asset to this country.”

“We share its treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The British Museum’s collection is protected by law and we have no plans to change it.”

Currently, legal barriers make it difficult to return the marbles to Athens. The British Museum Act 1963 prevents the British Museum from permanently removing objects from its collections, with only a few exceptions.

Reluctant to refund

The 2,500-year-old carvings, commonly referred to as the “Parthenon Marbles”, have been at the heart of the British Museum’s collection since 1832.

Greek authorities have long campaigned for its return, claiming the items were acquired under murky circumstances.

The British Museum, meanwhile, says they were legally acquired and must remain in the UK. Some scholars who follow the topic have gone so far as to cite the decades-long discussion of the restitution debate.

Ongoing discussions, but few prospects for action

Frieze pieces in London, which depict scenes from Greek mythology, make up about half of the surviving fragments of the Parthenon.

They were taken on the orders of Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople, who controlled Athens until 1832. His team began removing them from the Acropolis in 1801 and later sold them to the British government, along with hundreds of other ancient objects. . items taken from Athens.

Many other fragments of marble sculpture from the frieze are currently in the Acropolis Museum of Athens, which opened its doors in 2009.

Hopes for a potential comeback have been high in recent months. In January, the British Museum confirmed that “constructive discussions” with the Greek authorities relating to a return – potentially a loan to Athens – were “under way”. However, such a deal is unlikely to appease the Greeks, who want the marbles returned for good.

Vatican fragments return to Greece

Meanwhile, last week the Vatican began the process of returning several fragments. The three pieces of the Vatican Museum’s collection have been there since the 19th century. Now, they are finally heading back to Athens after a transport deal was finalized, the Vatican said. The marble shards will arrive at the end of the month, with a ceremony planned to receive them on March 24, the Associated Press reported.

One of them is a fragment of the head of a horse that pulled Athena’s chariot on the frieze. Another depicts the head of a young boy, believed to be taking part in a procession to commemorate the founding of Athens. The third piece is the head of a bearded man, according to the Vatican News website.

In December 2022, Pope Francis handed them over to Jerome II, head of the Greek Orthodox Church, “as a concrete sign of his sincere desire to follow the ecumenical path of truth”, according to the Vatican. another fragment of the Parthenon sculptures depicting the foot of a goddess was returned to Athens by the Antonino Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo, Sicily.

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier and Louisa Schaefer