A is for Acropolis, B for the British Museum
Reflections on Cultural Preservation
“It isn’t called “Greece””, said the driver, his English immaculate. “It is called Hellas.” The comment was in response to an observation I had made as we passed under a motorway roadsign which, although it was in Greek, was clear in what it said. Athena. That is the proper name of the city. Not Athens. Athena. The Goddess is in the city and in many respects the City is Her altar.
The car had been provided by the hotel at which we were staying in Athena and we arrived at a small boutique place that nestled in a street which ran up alongside the looming rock of the Acropolis – less than ten minutes walk to the entry point.
And that place was enticing. I longed to satiate the hunger to climb the steps and stand beneath the majesty of the Parthenon and tread the stones and dust trodden by Socrates and Demosthenes. But there was a museum on the opposite side of the street. The Acropolis Museum – as magnificent and wondrous as the great rock opposite.
The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, is a beacon of ancient history and a testament to the enduring legacy of Greek civilization. Since its opening in 2009, the museum has attracted millions of visitors, drawn by its modern architectural elegance and the timeless treasures it houses.
And Athena is present. Standing at the door is her Owl, watching over the visitors.
The Historical Background
The need for a new museum to house the Acropolis artifacts was felt for many decades. The artifacts of the Acropolis had long outgrown the old museum on the Hill of the Acropolis, originally constructed in 1874. Concerns over pollution, damage from increasing tourism, and the desire to exhibit more items in an appropriate environment led to calls for a more substantial structure. After years of planning and delays, the new Acropolis Museum was finally constructed approximately 300 meters from the Acropolis. It was designed by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi, with Michael Photiadis as the local collaborating architect.
The Acropolis Museum is a marvel of modern architecture and design. Modernistic, open, spacious with glass floors in parts over the remains of the Classical city.
The building is strategically positioned to align with the Parthenon, offering a direct view of the structure through its glass walls, thus integrating the exhibit space with the ancient monument. The museum's design emphasizes simplicity and visibility. Its top floor, the Parthenon Gallery, is oriented similarly to the temple on the Acropolis, allowing visitors to experience the sculptures in their original spatial context. The use of glass, concrete, and marble creates a dialogue between the new and the historical, between man-made and natural materials.
Collections and Exhibits
The museum houses more than 3,000 artifacts from the Acropolis, including statues from the Archaic period, the original Caryatids of the Erechtheion, and many other treasures. Perhaps the most significant are the Parthenon marbles, some of which are still held by the British Museum in London. The ongoing controversy over the return of these marbles highlights the museum’s role not only as a cultural repository but also as a centre in an international cultural debate. On this topic more later.
It is in this regard that there is an element of pathos in the Parthenon Gallery. The marbles which came from the frieze of the Parthenon itself are absent. Yawning gaps in the museum frieze echo the absences from the frieze of the Parthenon itself. These gaps await the return of the marbles from the British Museum
The Acropolis Museum has significantly impacted both cultural heritage preservation and tourism in Athens. It serves as a model of how modern design can enhance the presentation and preservation of ancient artifacts. The museum's approach to conservation and display educates the public about the importance of cultural heritage. The archaeological remains are especially significant in this regard.
It also plays a vital role in the economy of Athens, drawing tourists from all over the world, which in turn supports local businesses and promotes Greek culture globally.
Today, the Acropolis Museum stands as one of the most important cultural institutions in Greece. It continues to advocate for the reunification of the Parthenon sculptures and regularly updates its exhibits and facilities to enhance visitor experience. The museum also engages in active community and educational programs, ensuring that the legacy of ancient Greece continues to inspire future generations.
It is difficult to make a recommendation about whether a visit to the Museum should precede a visit to the Acropolis or vice versa. We were anxious to get to the Acropolis – a bucket list item – so on our visit that came first. It was late in the year and the hordes of summer visitors were absent. There was no charge for the climb to the top and no limit on numbers. I understand that may have changed.
Notwithstanding the ravages of time, the various ways in which the Parthenon has been repurposed, the “mining” if the monuments for building materials not to mention the plundering by Lord Elgin aided and abetted by a complacent Ottoman government, the Acropolis is mangificent. It represents one of the high points of Western cultural development. It is more than just an ancient citadel; it is the quintessential symbol of Ancient Greek civilization. This iconic monument, with its stunning architecture and rich history, encapsulates the values, artistry, and enduring legacy of a bygone era and many of the values and virtues of which resonate even today.
I have discussed the Acropolis Museum because it is necessary to understand the problem posed by the British Museum, especially regarding the Parthenon marbles.
The British Museum
I must confess that I love the BM. I always visit whenever I am in London even if only for a brief visit. But things have changed. In 1981 when I first visited a number of renovations had not taken place – the British Library was still located at the Great Russell Street site and had not moved to Euston and entry was unimpeded.
Contrast that visit with that made in 2024 when it was necessary to book a visiting time and, when we got there, we realised how futile this exercise really was because the queue to get in stretched down Great Russell Street for a couple of blocks and around a corner.
Even then entry was complicated by a security check and a set number of entrants allowed. Admittedly this was in the high holiday period, July, but the crowds were enormous and inside in the first of the great galleries it was a seething mob of heads and bodies travelling in so many directions it rivalled the points of the compass.
Once decisions had been made to move to some of the more distant galleries the crowds began to ease and crowd-based claustrophobia diminished.
There is an extraordinary depth in BM displays which are carefully curated and demonstrate the achievement of the human species – one can only stand in awe. Tales are told of multiple migrations and development of cultures that took place over 8000 years ago and make the involvement of homo sapiens in New Zealand trivial at best.
Furthermore the displays demonstrated that in most (but not all) cases we are all immigrants . In the time frame of humanity, the occupation of these islands is just a fragment.
Since its founding in 1753, the museum has stood as a monument to cultural history and a centre of scholarly research. But its long and storied history is not without controversy, particularly regarding its possession of the Elgin Marbles.
Any discussion of the BM must include consideration of the ongoing debate over the restitution of cultural artifacts.
The British Museum was established with the collections of Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and scientist who bequeathed his extensive collection of artifacts, library, and herbarium to King George II. In return for these treasures, Sloane asked that his collection be made accessible to the public, free of charge. The museum first opened its doors on January 15, 1759, in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building.
And access is still free of charge. Indeed free access to museums is not just restricted to the BM. But that has been the subject of challenge in recent times. The suggestion was made by Mark Jones, a former director of the BM, that a charge should be made visitors from abroad who should pay a general admission fee to institutions such as the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. Free admission would remain for British citizens and visitors under 25.
Jones said the admission price of “around £20” would also reduce crowds at exhibits and the length of time for visitors waiting to enter.
“The museum is too busy for people to experience it as they should; fighting your way through the crowds doesn’t put you in the best state of mind to look at the collections”
Over the centuries, the museum has undergone significant architectural changes. The current neoclassical building, designed by Sir Robert Smirke and completed in the 1850s, is most notable for its expansive Great Court, redeveloped in 2000 and enclosed by a spectacular glass roof, making it the largest covered public square in Europe.
The British Museum's collection spans over two million years of human history and boasts iconic items such as the Rosetta Stone – the key to the decryption of hieroglyphics, the Benin Bronzes, and the Assyrian Lion Hunt reliefs. With a collection so vast and diverse, the museum provides a panoramic insight into the cultures of the world, documented and preserved under one roof.
The Controversy Over the Elgin Marbles
One of the most persistent controversies surrounding the British Museum is its possession of the Elgin Marbles. These sculptures, part of the frieze that ran around the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens, were acquired by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century under circumstances that are widely regarded as controversial. Greece has long disputed the legality and morality of that acquisition, arguing that the marbles were taken during a period of foreign (Ottoman) occupation and should be returned for display in the Acropolis Museum, closer to their original context.
The British Museum argues that the marbles were legally acquired and that it can provide a context for them as part of the story of world cultures, which transcends national boundaries. This debate touches on broader issues of cultural heritage, historical ownership, and international diplomacy.
One argument advanced for the retention of the marbles is that in their current location they are available to all and for free. But the reality is that the marbles are not in their “home” location.
Perhaps there is an irony in the way that the marbles are displayed in the BM that links with the pathos of the Acropolis Museum. In the BM the marbles are located in a huge gallery – the Parthenon Gallery – which matches the dimensions of the Parthenon itself. And each of the marbles is located in the gallery in a position that corresponds to their location on the Parthenon and to the blank space in the Parthenon Gallery of the Acropolis Museum.
Mark Jones has said that the BM should share the long-disputed Parthenon Marbles with Greece. One suggestion that was made was that the marbles would return to Greece on permanent loan.
Justice would demand the return of the marbles to the Acropolis Museum but repatriation of one would inevitably lead to repatriation of others pieces – an effective “decolonisation” of the BM – and I say that advisedly because which ever way you look at it a substantial part of the BM’s collection represents the plunder of Empire, and I get that sense every time I visit. On the other hand the centralised location of the items in the collection enhances their accessibility. Regrettably they are in a city which, at least for people in this part of the world, is difficult to reach and in which it is expensive to stay for any length of time.
I like to think that the BM sees its mission as holding its treasures in trust for the benefit of mankind -a form of trust for humanity.
And in some respects this may not be a bad thing. The fact of the matter is that some cultures do not value the curation and preservation of artifacts as much as Western culture and the BM does. Importance is not placed on artefact preservation which means that ultimately objects decay.
Preservation of the cultural record means that its memory is recorded and available and the artefact does not itself become a distant memory,
The museum is actively engaging with its “colonial” legacy and the ethical challenges posed by its historical acquisitions, striving to balance its role as a custodian of world history with modern sensibilities and ethical considerations.
The British Museum's history is a reflection of the complexities of global history itself—rich, enlightening, and fraught with ethical dilemmas. As it moves forward, the museum continues to adapt to a changing world, addressing calls for restitution and reevaluation of its practices. Through its extensive collections and ongoing research, the British Museum remains a vital institution in the cultural and educational landscape of the global community, even as it confronts challenges to its practices and policies.
I wonder what Athena would think. There would be a solution but as is the way with Gods and Goddesses one must be careful of what one wishes for. Deities often have an unfortunate sense of humour when it comes to their dealings with mortals, and I have long been bemused by the fact that one such as Athena should have been involved in that silly contest with Hera and Aphrodite, relying on the idiot Paris to deliver a golden apple.
I have a key ring with an image of the Pensive Athena on it. It comes from the Acropolis Museum. And a bronze medallion that I have had for many, many years sits on my desk. It shows Athena’s owl. I like to think that what Athena symbolises as an element of humanity is present in these artefacts.
