The Elgin Marbles are within the UK within the Nationwide Historical past Museum however there’s a long-running dispute over the place the traditional sculptures – also referred to as the Parthenon Sculptures – needs to be housed.
The Greek prime minister is assembly Keir Starmer on Tuesday, resulting in many speculating whether or not the matter can be mentioned by the leaders.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis is visiting No 10 in what’s his first official go to to the UK since a quarrel with the earlier authorities over the possession of the traditional marbles.
However what are they? And what have the problems been?
What are the Elgin Marbles?
The Elgin Marbles are a set of Historic Greek sculptures from the Parthenon in addition to different constructions from the Acropolis of Athens.
The marbles beforehand made up round half of the 160-metre frieze on the Parthenon, which is thought to be one of many world’s biggest cultural monuments.
There are 17 sculptures in complete that are 2,500 years outdated. Their identify, in addition to their present location, has been a supply of controversy for years.
British diplomat Lord Elgin was the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which then dominated Greece, within the early nineteenth century. He oversaw elimination and delivery to the UK of the marbles in 170 crates and claimed he was given permission to take them.
He bought them to the UK authorities in 1816 earlier than the marbles have been handed into the trusteeship of the British Museum, the place they’ve remained ever since.
Greece has lengthy maintained that the marbles have been illegally faraway from their place atop Athens’s Acropolis throughout a interval of overseas occupation and has lengthy demanded the return of them.
However the British Authorities and the British Museum reject Greece’s declare that it owns them, and the marbles stay on show within the museum – the place they’ve been for 200 years.
What has Keir Starmer mentioned?
A spokesman for the prime minister mentioned the assembly this week was not in regards to the marbles however as a substitute about issues affecting all the world. He mentioned: “It’s not going to be on the prime minister’s agenda. His focus might be on help for Ukraine, the pressing want for a ceasefire in Gaza.”
He added: “Our place on the Elgin Marbles has not modified.
“It stays a matter for the British Museum, and the Authorities has no plans to vary the legislation to allow a everlasting transfer of the Parthenon Sculptures.”
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