The Importance Of Owning Property With Great Historic And Economic Value

Acropolis of Athens, and more specifically the Parthenon is the most mysterious. It is thought to be the most characteristic monument in in Greek history. Symbolizing the beginning of Western civilization, it is also an icon of European history. The Parthenon was dedicated to Athena, Goddess of the city of Athens and the goddess of wisdom. In modern culture, more than half the sculptures are now located in the British Museum in London. Christianity was established in the 6th century. With this development, the temples were changed to Christian churches. Today the return of the Parthenon sculptures to their original home of Acropolis is highly anticipated.

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

In “Bring Them Home,” the author explains why certain countries sell their artifacts to protect them from conflicts in their country. Many countries need a place to send their very important valuables to prevent them from getting damaged. A country will sale or send their valuables to a trustable country.As stated in the article,Greece sent “stunning marble sculptures” that were in the Parthenon Temple to keep them from being damaged by the Turkish Government. Now,Greece has took their independence back and wants their sculptures back.It’s only right to send them back considering that Britain’s job was 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

“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:

Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine (b.1766), was a Scottish aristocrat and diplomat who gained notoriety in the early 19th century with the controversial acquisition of a large number of Greek artworks, primarily from the Parthenon in Athens which collectively became known as the Elgin Marbles. With permission from the occupying Ottoman Empire, Thomas Bruce removed and transported the pieces between 1801 and 1805. Originally rejected by the British government, they were purchased from Lord Elgin in 1816 and now reside in the British Museum. The Marbles have been a point of contention between Greece and the United Kingdom ever since. Outraged by what they considered a theft of one of their greatest treasures, the Greek Government has spent the last 200 years attempting to repatriate the Marbles back to Athens. The burning question has always been: Who is Lord Elgin and did he really steal the Marbles from Greece or were they obtained legally? And where is their rightful place today?

The case of cultural artifacts being divided from their origins is not a new issue to arise in the art community. The Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles are a source of controversy between modern Britain and Greece. The Parthenon, and its sculptures/marbles, have a history that stretches back 2500 years, when it was built to honour a goddess of wisdom, Athena. The Parthenon has been a Christian church and a Muslim mosque, but has been ruined since 1687, when gunpowder stored inside exploded and attackers bombarded the structure. Over the centuries the stones which both constituted and adorned the Parthenon had been damaged. Documentation of the history. The Parthenon marbles play a pivotal role in the history of art and are part of primary inspiration for artists for thousand of years.

In the Greek golden age western ideals and creativity flourished. During this time this society built a monumental symbol of western culture known as the Parthenon on top of the acropolis in Athens, Greece. For over 2500 years the building as endured nature and human damages and is currently on the verge of collapsing where it stands. Currently, there is a restoration project in progress to take apart each piece of the Parthenon, repair them, and put them back together in an effort to save the once mighty structure. On the surface the blocks on stone appear to be interchangeable but are actually all unique pieces.

I completely agree that a piece of art should remain in the place where it was found. This should be done because it may have been that it was created there and therefore, it belongs there. I understand the Greeks’ anger towards the Britains because it truly is not fair that they took a marble, which was found in Greece. By taking the marble and displaying it in their own museum, in a way shows that they are taking credit for the art. I quite do not understand why it was even taken or how it was even taken.

Countless art has been sought-after throughout history. Explorers, scientists, art collectors, politicians, and entrepreneurs from Western nations have sought out and removed art from the lands of great civilizations, often with the assistance and participation of local people and governments. Even as cultural property faces immediate danger today in conflict zones like Syria and Mali, there is circumstantial evidence that some nations are awakening to the political and foreign policy benefits that can flow from the repatriation of cultural patrimony. While on a different scale from World War II, historic structures, religious monuments, and other priceless ancient times continue to suffer collateral damage and manipulation in armed conflict. Relics have been stolen, smuggled and sold in what is a reported multibillion dollar underground market. They have become the illicit prizes of private collectors and the subject of legal claims against museums. Of the countless museums subject to legal claims, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City happens to be one of them. “The Metropolitan Museum has acquired thousands of works and objects of art from the antiquities”. “For the past several years, the government of Turkey has warned U.S. and foreign museums (including The Metropolitan Museum of Art), that unless ancient objects from Turkish soil are given up on demand, Turkey will stop lending artworks” (The Committee for Cultural Policy, 2015). Turkey continues to up the

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.

What is the Elgin Marbles also called the “Parthenon Marbles”? Based on my reading and understanding, the Elgin Marbles were ancient Greek sculptures that were removed from the Parthenon at Athens and from other ancient buildings and transported to England at the direction of Thomas Bruce, 7th Lord Elgin. Elgin Marbles. (2017) retrieved from http://www.Britannica.com/topic/Elgin-Marbles Lord Elgin was known as the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from the time of (1799-1803). Elgin Marbles (2017) retrieved from http://www.Britannica.com/topic/Elgin-marbles The controversy comes from the British government allowing Lord Elgin the acting ambassador at the time to submit a letter to the Turkish government requesting permission to move

“The Parthenon was commissioned by Pericles sometime after Greek victories over the Persians between 490 and 480 BC” (Glancey 26, 27). During the Persian Greek wars, Athens believed that Athena watched over them and that she helped them throughout the war. The Parthenon represents the wealth, power, society, and culture of Athens. The building of the Parthenon cost the Athenians four hundred and sixty nine talents, which symbolized Athens as wealthy.

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