The Elgin Marbles are part of one of the longest cultural rows in Europe. They are comprised of sculptures, inscriptions and architectural features. Lord Elgin who was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (which Athens was a part of) acquired the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens between 1801 and 1805.
The Greeks have demanded that they be returned to their homeland and displayed in Athens. The Greek government claims that the Elgin marbles were taken illegally during the country's Turkish occupation and dispute the British Museum Trustees’ legal title to the sculptures. Some Greek officials believe that Lord Elgin bribed Turkish officials to obtain the marbles.
The British have a different view; they believe that Lord Elgin obtained the Elgin Marbles legally through the Ottoman empire before Greece won its independence. Another belief of the British is that if the Elgin Marbles are returned it would set a disturbing precedent for major museums. In today’s society many British historians consider the Elgin Marbles relics of an Athenian civilization rather than the modern Greek state
If every country, asks for the return of their artifacts every cosmopolitan museum would be emptied of their major exhibitions. The Elgin Marbles are the …show more content…
Regardless of how they are being taken care of or who has them know, they are originally part of Greece’s culture and society, and need to be put back where they belong. What matters is what is right not whether a precedent is or is not being set. The British could potentially loan the Elgin marbles back to Greece for an extended period of time, therefore allowing the Greeks time to match the Elgin marbles to their own and to explore fully whether the statues might be restored to the Parthenon. Also, returning the Elgin marbles to Greece at this time would be a massive boost to both Greece’s political and cultural landscapes, something the country sorely
The Greeks have demanded that they be returned to their homeland and displayed in Athens. The Greek government claims that the Elgin marbles were taken illegally during the country's Turkish occupation and dispute the British Museum Trustees’ legal title to the sculptures. Some Greek officials believe that Lord Elgin bribed Turkish officials to obtain the marbles.
The British have a different view; they believe that Lord Elgin obtained the Elgin Marbles legally through the Ottoman empire before Greece won its independence. Another belief of the British is that if the Elgin Marbles are returned it would set a disturbing precedent for major museums. In today’s society many British historians consider the Elgin Marbles relics of an Athenian civilization rather than the modern Greek state
If every country, asks for the return of their artifacts every cosmopolitan museum would be emptied of their major exhibitions. The Elgin Marbles are the …show more content…
Regardless of how they are being taken care of or who has them know, they are originally part of Greece’s culture and society, and need to be put back where they belong. What matters is what is right not whether a precedent is or is not being set. The British could potentially loan the Elgin marbles back to Greece for an extended period of time, therefore allowing the Greeks time to match the Elgin marbles to their own and to explore fully whether the statues might be restored to the Parthenon. Also, returning the Elgin marbles to Greece at this time would be a massive boost to both Greece’s political and cultural landscapes, something the country sorely