Acropolis Museum

The Acropolis Museum was opened to the public in 2009 and was built to replace the original museum that had sat on the site since the original foundations were laid in 1865 (30 years after the Turkish garrison withdrew from the Acropolis. Integral to this decision to build the museum was the desire to build a space that was equipped to house and conserve the artifacts from the Acropolis and to reunite the Parthenon sculptures. The museum has five permanent galleries to do this – The Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis, The Archaic Gallery, The Parthenon Gallery, Propylaia, Athena Nike and Erechtheion Gallery and the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD Gallery. The completed museum does have the amenities to house the sculptures if they are…

seems that some national museums are now expanding this statement to include art as well. Countries are clamoring for the return of priceless pieces of art that they claim were unjustly seized from their homelands while the museums that these items now occupy shout back that their ownership is inarguably legal and honest. The beloved Elgin Marbles of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece have become the epitome of both judicial and moral grey area in the arena of repatriation. The British Museum,…

The Parthenon or “Elgin Marbles” controversy has had both Britain and Greece scramble over who has the most acceptable appeal regarding the statues ever since Lord Elgin removed the statues from the Parthenon. Yet, from a direct comparison between the two nations based upon the strength of arguments, Britain has the most valid claim to the Parthenon Marbles. Though the flaws and bias involved in the extrapolation of evidence mush be considered such as the lack of an original document provided by…

are evidence of the people that were occupying the area after 900 B.C. These concentrations surrounded the settlement of what we know today as The Copan Principal Group, which defines the Classic Maya capital. The Principal Group consists of the series of open spaces like the Grand Plaza in the northern portion followed by the super imposed structures which consequently lead to the raised Acropolis, which is flanked in the south by the elite residential settlement of “El Cementerio”. The…

In 1816, the pieces were bought by the British Government, and to this day, sit in the British Museum for all to see. One common argument for keeping the sculptures in Britain is that the pieces should remain across the world so that all people could enjoy the art and appreciate its history. Forbes.com says that, "The British Museum claims that the removal of the objects saved them from destruction, as they were not being protected at the time." (Amineddoleh, Forbes), but the people of Athens…

As a temple created for the goddess Athena, the Parthenon is one of the greatest structures of the ancient world and a symbol of ancient Greek culture. In the 1800s after the Parthenon was partially destroyed, Lord Elgin took pieces of the Parthenon back to London and is now in the British Museum. For centuries many people believe that the British Museum should return the Parthenon Marbles aka the Elgin Marbles back to Greece. These Marbles have great historical and cultural significance in…

The Acropolis is one of Greece's most monumental pieces that still stands today. It was erected as a place of worship; the area stands on top of an elevated area and towers over the city of Athens as a dedication to the God Athena. In 5th century BC, the city of Greece had emerged victorious after war. They had been rewarded with a greater sense of being, self-pride, and this opened their eyes to discovering themselves to a greater extent. Greece and its people had grown in confidence,…

beautiful buildings in New York City. The Olympic building located on fifth avenue between fifty first and fifty second street. Once you enter the building you will immediately notice the Parthenon marble cast collection against the wall. However, these marbles cast are copies of the originals, but these are so perfectly redone that you can probably mistake them for the originals. The design of the hallway, which the marble cast collection is in, is so simple and elegant that it also brings life…

Is it a building that commemorates a victory over the Persians? Or, is a religious building dedicated to the goddess Athena? Maybe a monument that proclaims the greatness of the Athenian polis mid V century BC?All this and much more is what symbolizes the Parthenon, as well as being a building that, over the centuries, has endured dropouts, bombing (by the Turks) and even looting (by the English educated, who enjoy today in the British Museum a large sculptural repertoire obtained in this…

Greeks valued balance because it creates a sense of harmony, something valued highly in both architecture as well as personality; it was considered the reflection of someone considered an intellectual with a well-developed sense of morality. The Greeks designed each of their major cities with this in mind, and thus, the acropolis was born. Each big city was based on a similar formula (they were very fond of mathematics and algorithms), with components including a cluster of buildings on the…