On Monday, October 20th, Greece’s culture minister slammed as “provocative” the British Museum’s first–ever fundraiser that had guests dining in the gallery hosting the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles.
Greece’s Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, said in a statement:
The safety, integrity, and ethics of the monuments should be the primary concern of the British Museum, which once again demonstrates provocative indifference.
Athens has for decades demanded the return of the priceless sculptures, saying they were looted in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
Under Chairman George Osborne, the former Tory Chancellor of the Exchequer, the British Museum has been engaged in long talks with Greek officials on a formula that would allow the Marbles to be displayed in Athens. In December 2024, Osborne said the institution was exploring an “arrangement where at some point some of the sculptures” could be sent to Athens in return for Greece lending the museum “some of its treasures.”
