Fragments of the Parthenon Marbles exhibited at the Athens Archaeological Museum were reunited in the Acropolis Museum on Monday during a symbolic ceremony.
The handover ceremony at the Acropolis Museum was attended by Greek Culture Minister, Lina Mendoni, and Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who again called for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum to Greece.
“This sends a strong message for the reunification of all parts of this unique monument to humanity,” Mitsotakis said.
“It is a first, but very important, step in the effort to gather here at the Acropolis Museum, all the smaller and larger parts of the Parthenon that are now scattered in various museums around the world.”
Mitsotakis then went on to highlight recent efforts made by Greece to call for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum and stressed his belief that UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, “will not block any possible future agreement [on the Marbles].”
“If necessary, he could initiate the amendment of the British law on museums in order to facilitate the reunification of the Parthenon sculptures. There are no more substantial arguments to delay this important issue…” Mitsotakis said.
The fragments being returned on Monday were from the frieze, the metopes and pediments of the Parthenon. One of them is the head of a youth from a sculpture that is currently held in the Louvre in Paris, while the second is from the north section of the frieze.
The event ended with the placement of the shards in their permanent positions.
