Elgin Marbles

Long ago, artists made stone carvings in Greece.

These carvings decorated a big temple. A man named Lord Elgin moved them to Britain.

He wanted people to see the art. Now, the carvings stay in a museum in London. People still argue about them today. Some think they should go back to Greece.

It is a big mystery for the world.

Long ago in Greece, artists made beautiful stone carvings. These sculptures decorated the Parthenon. The Parthenon was a large temple for the goddess Athena.

A man named Lord Elgin moved many of these pieces to Britain. He did this between 1801 and 1812. He took carvings from the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis.

Elgin said he had permission from local leaders. He used an official order called a firman. This was a paper from the Ottoman government. People still argue about if this was legal. Some say the order did not allow him to take pieces from the walls.

Today, most of these pieces are in the British Museum. They are often called the Elgin Marbles. Others call them the Parthenon Sculptures. The Greek government wants them back in Greece. They want the art to be shown together in the Acropolis Museum. The British Museum says they should stay in London. They say the art can be seen alongside other ancient cultures there. The two sides are still talking about it.

The Elgin Marbles are a famous collection of ancient Greek sculptures. Most of these pieces came from the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. The Parthenon was a grand temple built around 447 BCE for the goddess Athena.

These artworks include beautiful figures and long stone carvings called friezes. They show many different scenes, like battles between Lapiths and centaurs. People value these sculptures because they show the amazing skill of ancient artists. They are a very important part of Greek history and culture.

These sculptures were made in many different ways to decorate buildings. Some are called metopes, which are flat panels showing action. Others are pediments, which are large statues found in the triangular tops of temples.

The collection also includes a long frieze that wrapped around the temple walls. This frieze is about 75 meters long. Many of these pieces were created under the direction of a famous sculptor named Phidias. They were designed to make the massive stone buildings look even more beautiful.

Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, is the man these marbles are named after.

Between 1801 and 1812, his agents removed many pieces from Athens. They took sculptures from the Parthenon and other buildings like the Erechtheion.

Elgin said he had permission from Ottoman officials to do this work. He used an official order called a firman to explain his actions.

He wanted to use the art to help people in Britain learn about Greek culture. He even set up a private museum to show them to the public.

Moving the marbles was a very big and expensive job.

Elgin spent about £74,240 to complete the removal and shipment. In 1816, the British government decided to buy the collection for £35,000.

After this purchase, the marbles were moved to the British Museum in London. This happened after a vote in the British parliament by 82 to 30.

Today, the British Museum holds many of these pieces in its large collections.

Even though the marbles are in London, people still talk about them today. The Greek government has asked for the sculptures to be returned to Greece. They believe the art should be seen together in the Acropolis Museum.

Some people call them the "Parthenon Sculptures" instead of the "Elgin Marbles." The British Museum argues that keeping them in London helps people see many different cultures at once. Discussions between the two sides are still happening now.

The Elgin Marbles are a famous collection of ancient Greek sculptures. Most of these pieces came from the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. The Parthenon was a grand temple built around 447 BCE. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Many of the sculptures were created under the direction of the sculptor and architect Phidias. These artworks are highly valued for their artistic skill. They represent a major part of ancient Greek culture and history.

The collection includes several different types of architectural sculpture.

One type is the metopes. These are flat panels that show scenes, such as battles between Lapiths and centaurs. Another type is the pediments. These are large statues found in the triangular tops of the temple.

The collection also features a long frieze. This frieze is a continuous band of sculpture that decorated the temple walls. It is about 75 meters long.

These pieces represent more than half of the surviving sculptural decoration from the Parthenon.

Before the sculptures were moved, the Parthenon suffered significant damage. In 1687, during the Sixth Ottoman-Venetian War, the building was used as a gunpowder store. A Venetian artillery round ignited the gunpowder on 26 September 1687. The resulting explosion was massive. It blew out the central portion of the Parthenon. Three of the four walls collapsed or nearly collapsed. The explosion killed about 300 people. It also caused about three-fifths of the frieze sculptures to fall. For many years after, people scavenged the ruins for building material.

Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, oversaw the removal of the marbles.

Between 1801 and 1812, his agents removed sculptures from several buildings. These included the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Propylaia. Elgin claimed he had permission from Ottoman officials. He said he used a firman, which is an official Ottoman order. He sent the pieces from Greece to Malta before they reached Britain. This massive project cost Elgin £74,240. He originally wanted to establish a private museum to show the art to the public.

The legality of how the marbles were taken is a major debate.

Elgin stated his actions were authorized by the Ottoman government. However, no official record of the 1801 firman has been found in Turkish archives. Some historians argue the document was actually a mektub, or an official letter. They suggest a mektub might not have the legal force of a firman. Others argue the document only allowed for the removal of artifacts found during excavations. They believe it did not allow for removing sculptures still attached to buildings.

In 1816, the British government decided to buy the collection.

A parliamentary inquiry concluded that Elgin had acquired the marbles legally. The House of Commons approved the purchase with a vote of 82 to 30. The government paid £35,000 for the collection. The marbles were then transferred to the British Museum. Under the British Museum Act 1816, they were required to be kept together. This is why they are legally known as the "Elgin Marbles."

Today, the sculptures are at the center of an international controversy. The Greek government has formally asked for their return. They argue the sculptures are of exceptional cultural importance to Greece. They believe the art should be displayed in the Acropolis Museum. This would allow the pieces to be seen in a unified display. The British Museum argues that the collection allows the art to be viewed alongside other ancient cultures. In 2021, UNESCO called for the British government to resolve the issue. Discussions between British and Greek officials continue today.