GREECE: CAMPAIGN FOR ELGIN MARBLES TARGETS TOURISTS

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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Greek/English/Nat The campaign to return the so-called Elgin Marbles from Britain to the ancient Parthenon in Greece has drawn in government leaders, diplomats and artists. Now, Greek workers are targeting tourists. Visitors to the 2,500-year-old temple are being offered pamphlets outlining the appeal for the British Museum in London to restore the 17 figures and parts of a 160-metre (yard) frieze. The marble sculptures were taken in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. The two and a half thousand year old Greek temple, the Parthenon, is one of the world's most famous sites and a mecca for tourists. Despite its beauty, an international dispute overshadows the Parthenon. Seventeen marble figures and parts of a 160-yard (metre) frieze taken by the British in the 19th Century are yet to be returned to the Parthenon. Now Greece is hoping to engage of the help of tourists in its crusade to have the marbles restored to their original positions. Members of the Federation of Guilds, in the Culture Ministry, one of the ministry's labour unions, will be handing out 300-thousand leaflets throughout the summer. The fliers are published in Greek, English, German, Italian and Spanish. The appeal describes the Parthenon as "denuded and truncated, its wounds gaping open." But Britain maintains that Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman empire, acquired the sculptures legally at a time when Greece was ruled by Ottoman Turkey. Greece says he stole them. British leaders have refused to relinquish the collection. Supporters of keeping the marbles at the British Museum fear that returning them could set a precedent and other countries could demand indigenous objects scattered around the world. A spokeswoman for the Department said there were no plans to return them and that they had been legally acquired by the museum. Yiannis Tsakopiakos, president of the Greek Federation of Guilds in the Culture Ministry, said returning the marbles would not have to set a precedent. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) "We're not demanding all the museums of the whole world give back the treasures they have to their original owners, but we believe that the Parthenon is an exception because it's one of the finest monuments in the whole world and we believe that Mr Tony Blair will give us permission to bring the marbles here - not only for us but for the whole world for the whole civilisation." SUPERCAPTION: Yiannis Tsakopiakos, president of the Greek Federation of Guilds in the Culture Ministry Many tourists would be happy to see the marbles returned. VOXPOP: (English) "It's the whole world's responsibility that something so magnificent as this should be restored and kept." SUPERCAPTION: Dutch tourist VOXPOP: (English) "I understand why they won't bring them back because it sets a precedent that then all the other things in the museums in England all have to go back from where they came from and we would not have anything left in England to show anybody else. SUPERCAPTION: English tourist VOXPOP: (English) "It belongs to the Greek people and it belongs to the people of the world and we should be able to see it on the Parthenon." SUPERCAPTION: Canadian tourist Greek officials hope the marbles will one day be housed in a new Acropolis museum due to be completed by 2004, when Athens hosts the Olympic Games. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c6c9d99ab535666fc554f9d5fc8c1538 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork