June 20, 2009 Turko No Comments
The long-awaited Acropolis Museum in Athens has been opened.
The modern glass and concrete building, at the foot of the ancient Acropolis, houses sculptures from the golden age of Athenian democracy.
The £110m ($182m; 130m euros) structure also offers panoramic views of the stone citadel where they came from.
Culture minister Antonis Samaras said he hoped it would be the “catalyst” for the return of the Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum.
Some of the sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, originally decorated the Parthenon temple and have been in London since they were sold to the museum in 1817.
The museum has long argued that Greece has no proper place to put them – an argument the Greek government hopes the Acropolis Museum addresses.
Read More at BBC news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8110010.stm