Why Are The Elgin Marbles In London

The elgin marbles are a collection of ancient greek marble sculptures that originally decorated some of the ancient monuments on the akropolis in athens particularly the parthenon but were removed in the early nineteenth century by thomas bruce 7th earl of elgin and are currently held in the british museum in london.

Why are the elgin marbles in london.

Petersburg to memorialize its 250thbirthday. The elgin marbles refer to a collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details dating back to the fifth century bc which are currently kept in the british museum london. The elgin marbles are a source of controversy between modern britain and greece it s a collection of stone pieces rescued removed from the ruins of the ancient greek parthenon in the nineteenth century and now in demand to be sent back from the british museum to greece. They were originally part of the temple of the parthenon and other buildings on the acropolis of athens.

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. The parthenon marbles greek. γλυπτά του παρθενώνα also known as the elgin marbles ˈ ɛ l ɡ ɪ n are a collection of classical greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of the architect and sculptor phidias and his assistants. The acropolis museum in athens and the british museum in london have about 30 per cent each while other.

In many ways the marbles are emblematic of the development of modern ideas of national heritage and global display which. To take them from our museum would impoverish the world writes labour mp alan howarth. The elgin marbles displayed in london have been an inspiration to generations of people of all nationalities. By then the fifth century parthenon was showing its age having suffered a catastrophic 1687 explosion while it was being used by the turks as a gunpowder magazine.

The parthenon marbles are often called the elgin marbles after thomas bruce 7th earl of elgin who had them removed from the acropolis complex between 1801 and 1812. In 1816 parliament paid 350 000 for the parthenon marbles most of which went to elgin s many creditors and a new home was found at the british museum albeit initially in a shed.