This british museumHome to one of the most important historical heritage collections in the world, Confirmed first-time contact with Greek authorities for the potential return of looted marbles from the Parthenon, A recurring object of political debate since the 19th century.
Speculation about a possible deal with Elgin Marbles has been very common lately. According to the Bloomberg agency, a swap deal in which Athens would buy back the marbles as part of a cultural exchange that would make it easier for other pieces to be loaned to London was nearly closed.
Sources from the Greek Ministry of Culture denied to the newspaper ‘Kathimerini’ that such an agreement existed, but it is already official, that there are contacts and that they to proceed in a “constructive” wayAs the British Museum revealed this Thursday in an unprecedented gesture.
“We made it public. We are actively seeking a new alliance at the Parthenon with our friends in Greece.“, explained the British institution, which, according to The Guardian, led to a “new year” negotiations between the two sides.
The Greek Government has always He argued that the British Museum wanted the inheritance to be returned permanently, while the museum was inclined to some kind of interim agreement.. In fact, the UK Executive Board also stressed in December that it does not plan to reform the law limiting the permanent return of works of art to very exceptional circumstances.
The Elgin Marbles are one of the main attractions of the British Museum, which also displays other pieces from ancient Greece and other historical cultures such as Egypt.