Culture

Acropolis artifacts set to move

by ryan | July 19, 2007 at 09:07 am

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For these old artifacts perhaps a new home after over 130 years in the same place will be refreshing. Even if the move is only a couple hundred meters.

When I visited the Acropolis last summer I was surprised to see many of the temples dismantled and more cranes and workmen than statues and huge ancient columns...I guess the Greeks are working hard to maintain the ancient site.

Around 330 statues and artifacts from the Parthenon and other temples that overlook the capital are to be transported from the current museum, which was carved into the rock in 1874, starting in September.

The New Acropolis Museum - also meant to give muscle to Greece's campaign to force the UK to return the Elgin Marbles, priceless friezes from the Parthenon - is only 300 meters (328 yards) away.

But the task is all the more daunting since many of the masterpieces were never meant to be moved - the heaviest weighs 2.5 tons. Others have been meticulously restored or reconstructed from fragments and sat undisturbed for decades.