Essay about Museams Are Temples

Museums have long served a purpose as cultural staples. For every museum, big and small, careful consideration is used in selecting its contents. When securing new items for a museum, it is most important to consider public appeal, educational value, and cost-effectiveness.

Those Marbles are Greek and belong to Greece, and not to who stole them. The Parthenon Marbles, known as the Elgin Marbles, name downgrade the practice rapture of the sculptures from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, is a large collection of marble sculptures which had been stolen by Thomas Bruce, (Earl of Elgin). Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 until 1803 and again in Britain in 1806. Taking advantage of the Ottoman hegemony in Greek territory, managed and acquired firman from the Ottoman Sultan for the disestablishment of the Parthenon to measure and fix their plans, and then proceeded to remove and smuggled them. These sculptures were stored in the British Museum in London 1816. To Ottoman firman, which owns the British Museum does not bear the signature and seal of the Sultan or the usual invocation to God. And without them, the Elgin and therefore the British Museum doesn't have any legal proof of ownership of the Parthenon Marbles, according to a report by experts (Newsletter, Nov. 2008). The 1936 report placed the Duveen created for this purpose. Since 1983, on the initiative of the then Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri, Greece has made efforts to bring back the Elgin Marbles to

The controversy began almost one hundred years ago. Between 1801 and 1812, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removed several sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens and shipped them to England, where he sold them to the British Museum in 1816. 167 years later, Melina Mercouri, Greek Minister of Culture, requested that the “Elgin” Marbles be returned. This request sparked one of the greatest debates the art world has ever known. For the past two decades, people have argued over who has the rights to these Marbles. The Greek position is certainly understandable from a cultural and emotional point of view. However, from the standpoint of

I believe that Lord Elgin did the right thing. He helped preserve the statues because there would have been no statues left, if he did not. Athens had already pulverized about forty percent of the statues, for the limestone. They would have pulverized the rest if Lord Elgin had not stepped in. If every country got to keep their own artifacts, how would anyone ever get to visit all the different artifacts that one museum can offer? If the artifacts were donated or purchased, would that be fair to the purchaser? No, it is not. Lord Elgin did everything legally, including getting an export permit from Ottoman authorities, so that he could bring them to Britain

“Who Owns the Elgin Marbles?” this question continues to linger in some minds today, and just so happens to be reviewed in the respectfully titled article written by John Henry Merryman in 1986. In this article, Merryman, in the most unbiased way possible, assesses both Britain’s and Greece’s side of the argument pertaining to the ownership of the Elgin Marbles and whether they should be returned to Greece after being removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. Within the article, the main points discussed regard the morality and legality of the removal of the marbles. Merryman goes on to discuss three more main concerns dealing with the marbles and where they belong:

Historic treasures and artifacts are often donated to or purchased by other nations to place in their museums. Often museums are given the objects with full cooperation from the originating country, but sometimes they are stolen or given for protection such as in a time of war. When nations want the artifacts returned it can cause a disagreement with the other nations of who the rightful owner is.

Cooper states that “museums came to understand that their unique educational ability was that of object-based learning...the possession of objects made museums different” (65). I tend to agree with that statement with some caveats. Firstly, object-based learning can happen without collections. Secondly, is the additional unique opportunity potential for lifelong learning. The museum is a place that can assist, contrast, or provide learning at every stage of a person’s life. For instance, the Mission museums in California are a resource for public elementary school curriculum (Dartt-Newton 97). As people of all ages from the public look to museums as an educational authority, the material presented needs to be as scrutinized as any other

Antiques, they are hundreds, maybe thousands years old, but what if someone just took them from you. You would want them back, right? This valuable prized possession, someone just, stole. Well, imagine it a bit more extreme. That has been the major problem in Egypt for many years. Britain, France, and other surrounding countries have been stealing major antiquities from Egypt illegally for a long time. These countries should give back Egypt’s antiquities because, they deserve to be in their country of origin, these artifacts represent Egyptian culture, and Egyptian antiquities are not only limited to staying in the pyramids.

The Elgin Marbles are known to be a collection of stone sculptures that were acquired by Lord Elgin (British) from the Parthenon in Athens between the years 1801 and 1805. During Greece’s Turkish occupation, they believe that these sculptures were taken illegally, and morally should be returned. The Greeks have demanded that the sculptures be returned back their homeland. Yet, the British believe that Lord Elgin purchased the statues legally from the Ottoman Empire before Greece had won its independence. They anticipated it setting a significant level of importance for major museums if the statues were ever returned. Unfortunately, proof doesn’t exist to show that Lord Elgin actually had permission to take all of the sculptures. Proof exists

The Parthenon is located on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece; is a former temple which was dedicated to Greek goddess Athena, whom the Athens considered their leader. According to the British Museum (2015), The Parthenon was built nearly 2500 years ago and has a long and complex history. After thousands of years it became a church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque and then finally resulted in a archaeological ruin. After the result of a ruin, the buildings were reformed in which various sculptures were damaged. During the 1800’s after the Parthenon being damaged, the Elgin marbles (Elgin) a part of the remaining sculpture, was removed and given to a British museum. For hundreds of years there has been a question if the British museum should return the Elgin marbles back to the Athenians or not. I believe that that the safest and most beneficial place for the Elgin marbles is the British museum, therefore the British should not return the marble to the Athenians.

One of the most well-known components of the Parthenon are the enormously beautiful and important marble sculptures that were placed in the pediment of the monument. These marbles are shrouded in controversy as to whom they belong: Greece or Britain. These marble sculptures were removed between 1801 and 1812 in order to protect them from possible destruction caused by the war between the Grecians and the Venetians, taken to Britain for refuge by the Earl of Elgin, and sold to the British Museum to be displayed. John Henry Merryman discusses his view on the issue of the ownership of marbles by presenting two main points and the validity of both sides. One aspect of his examination revolves around the legality of the removal of these sculptures.

As I mentioned, this is an extremely controversial topic that has raised a lot of difference in opinions. Furthermore, I must admit that those arguing for the sculptures to remain in Britain do make some interesting points that plenty of people have taken into consideration. One of their arguments is that the sculptures were already in a damaged and fragile condition, and leaving them in Greece would have destroyed them completely (‘The Parthenon Marbles: Refuting the Arguments”, par 6). In the YouTube video, “Parthenon Marbles Debate ", one of Tristam Hunt’s arguments is if the Greeks are able to acquire their historic artwork, this may cause other countries to demand their historic artifacts as well, not just from the British Museum, but from museums all over the world as well. I can see the counter arguments that this controversy issue involves. However, regardless of whether they were in a horrible condition, the Greeks were never consulted, nor did they have a say regarding the selling of this artwork to Elgin. Now, when it comes to everyone claiming and demanding they receive their ancient artwork, like historian Hunt said; this is true. It can happen, but I don't believe that any other artifacts have the amount of significance that these sculptures do. The Greeks worked their hearts

Some people might assume few women of nineteenth century England, were truly successful as authors. Jane Austen is an exception to that assumption. She was an independent lady who lived and died by her pen. Despite the obstacles she encountered in her lifetime Austen did not achieve success until after her death. Jane Austen may have lived a quiet and humble lifestyle, but her literary works have made a lasting impression on the lives of women of the 20th century.

The information contained in museums is meant to represent changing and new ideas that are present within a given society. Whether museums contain historic artifacts, modern art, or other pieces, they are meant to represent people living in the past, present, and sometimes future. As such, they also act as educational modalities to help students and adults understand more about the world around them. An important component of museums in many instances is the extent to which they are able to engage their community, and the extent to which the community is able to contribute to the success of the museums. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, community is defined as “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society” and “a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests” (“Community”). These institutions work to understand the needs, assets, and concerns of communities. Therefore, museums are tied into the cultures of the neighborhoods and regions that contain them, and this contributes to the unique nature of each individual organizations.

Collections play a crucial role in fulfilling a museum’s mission and purpose. A museum’s collection is defined by its collection policy past and present which in turn helps to shape the museum’s goals and direction. As stewards of collections, museums are expected to maintain the highest professional standards legally and ethically.