A fashion show in the rooms where the Parthenon sculptures are exhibited at the British Museum has sparked sharp reactions in Athens. The fashion show proves once again that the museum’s management shows no respect for the sculptures, said Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni on Saturday evening. “The decision-makers at the British Museum are insulting not only the monument, but also the universal values it embodies,” she said in a written statement. The fashion show took place on Saturday at the British Museum in London, Greek broadcaster ERTnews reported on Sunday.
Athens has been demanding the return of all friezes from the British Museum for decades. In the Greek capital, a new museum was built below the Acropolis in 2009. The real frieze parts are exhibited there together with plaster replicas of the missing elements. The Parthenon (“Virgin’s Chamber”) is one of the most famous surviving architectural monuments of ancient Greece.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the British diplomat Lord Elgin had the best-preserved parts (the so-called “Elgin Marbles”) of the Parthenon dismantled and brought to England. He sold it to the British Museum in 1816. 56 of the 96 panels of the frieze have been there since then.
Frieze is the sculptural decoration that runs below the ceiling and above the outer row of columns of ancient temples. Scenes from the history of ancient Athens are depicted on it. (dpa)