Elgin Marbles Essay Examples

Should the Elgin Marbles be returned to Greece

The Elgin marbles are Greek marble structure. These architectural pieces were part of the Parthenon temple and many other buildings that were part of the Acropolis of Athens. In the eighteen century, the agents of Lord Elgin’s removed more than half of the sculpture of the marbles and transported these to Britain via sea. The Elgin marbles should be returned back to Greece for many reasons.
The most important reason why these marbles should be returned back to Greece is that during the time period of 1801 the British ambassador who was situated in Istanbul did not have the legal authority to take away the masterpieces from the temple of the Parthenon. Elgin was not able to produce any legal certificate that the masterpieces are his property, and the British Museum now have no real legal evidence of the ownership of the Elgin Marbles. The campaign to restore the original position of these ancient masterpieces back to Greece has also gained international recognition as many popular celebrities both from culture and political areas, and various scholars have favored that the Parthenon sculptures must be restored back to their original position. The politicians from various countries have expressed their interest in providing their efforts and help to whatever is required to return these artifacts back to Greece (American Chronicle, 2009).
The Parthenon’s masterpieces are 99 percent stored and have survived more than three centuries – mostly been exposed in Athens and London. According to a professor at Cambridge University, 98 percent of these masterpieces are present in the British Museum, but the most significant part of these masterpieces is the Elgin marbles. These must be presented in the Acropolis as they complete the architectural environment of the museum and their right place is in the main museum and not in the museum of Great Britain (American Chronicle, 2009).

Reference

American Chronicle (2009) Eight reasons why the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece http://www.elginism.com/new-acropolis-museum/eight-reasons-why-the-elgin-marbles-should-be-returned-to-greece/20090225/1754/