An official spokesman for the Greek government announced, late last night, that the Parthenon is to be moved to the UK, in return for a 'substanial financial contribution' to assist in its debt crisis.
He went on to say that they were not just selling the nation's 'Crown Jewels' but that this decsion had been made on an environmental basis.
An immediate problem facing the Parthenon is the environmental impact of the growth of Athens since the 1960s. Corrosion of its marble by acid rain and car pollutants has already caused irreparable damage to some sculptures and threatens the remaining sculptures and the temple itself. Over the past 20 years, the Greek government and the city of Athens have made some progress on these issues, but the future survival of the Parthenon does not seem to be assured.
'We owe it to the world, that this most important piece of heritage is preserved for future generations'.
So far there has been no statement from the UK government or the British Museum, but sources suggest that it will be rebuilt on a sports stadium, following the 2012 Olympics.
Note to Editors:
Today, the Parthenon Marbles which were removed by the Earl of Elgin are in the British Museum. Other sculptures from the Parthenon are now in the Louvre in Paris, in Copenhagen, and elsewhere, but most of the remainder are in Athens in the new Acropolis Museum, that was opened officially on Saturday, June 20, 2009. A few can still be seen on the building itself. The Greek government has been campaigning since 1983 for the British Museum sculptures to be returned to Greece. The British Museum has steadfastly refused to return the sculptures, and successive British governments have been unwilling to force the Museum to do so (which would require legislation). Nevertheless, talks between senior representatives from Greek and British cultural ministries, and their legal advisors took place in London on 4 May 2007. These were the first serious negotiations for several years, and there are hopes that the two sides may move a step closer to a resolution.