Cyprus-Forum.com

[denizaksulu]

http://www.bargaintraveleurope.com/08/G ... Berlin.htm

Check the above link for the Bergamon temple in Berlin.

The Ottomans were only interested in any gold found. They werent bothered about 'a few stones' the Europeans wished to take away.

[Jerry]

Of course they should be returned. I read somewhere that they are in a better condition having been safely stored in the UK than if they had been exposed to the polluting atmosphere of Athens, perhaps Elgin and the Turks unwittingly did the marbles a favour.

[georgios100]

I took a quick look at this
http://www.britishmuseum.org/

The British museum has national treasures from all over the world. Most of the exhibits were "acquired" in many ways, some of them illegal, others by war and some by donations, actions etc.

The museum strikes "deals" with other countries bringing in exhibits for display for a limited time following the return of the items as per the agreement. I consider this practice lawful and informative, promoting symbols of foreign civilizations to the British public to observe and study.

On the other hand, items acquired without written consent by their respective countries are not museum exhibits but LOOT. The colonial era of the British empire cannot be displayed in a form of "artifacts" violently stolen, illegally excavated or spoils of war. This is a disgrace, the British society must face and correct it by returning all the disputed items to the countries, where they belong.

It's embarrassing, to say the least, to the British Government, when countries file claims or publicly demand what Britain should do out of sensitivity and respect in returning these foreign artifacts.

There is no excuse for not returning these treasures. While Britain chooses to refuse and ignore the issue, one can not stop from characterising the Brits as looters, thieves and arrogant people who don't have the balls to pressure their government to do the right thing. As long as the ordinary Brit citizens don't act to remedy the problem, well, they are as guilty as their government is.

I challenge the Brits on this forum to show cause to why these national treasures (not just the Greek marbles) are still rotting away on the shelves of the British Museum.

[Gasman]

Jerry - I think they've changed their mind about that now. I read they suffered in London too. Stored in damp conditions and then cleaned with stuff that damaged them.

[CBBB]

I took a quick look at this
http://www.britishmuseum.org/

The British museum has national treasures from all over the world. Most of the exhibits were "acquired" in many ways, some of them illegal, others by war and some by donations, actions etc.

The museum strikes "deals" with other countries bringing in exhibits for display for a limited time following the return of the items as per the agreement. I consider this practice lawful and informative, promoting symbols of foreign civilizations to the British public to observe and study.

On the other hand, items acquired without written consent by their respective countries are not museum exhibits but LOOT. The colonial era of the British empire cannot be displayed in a form of "artifacts" violently stolen, illegally excavated or spoils of war. This is a disgrace, the British society must face and correct it by returning all the disputed items to the countries, where they belong.

It's embarrassing, to say the least, to the British Government, when countries file claims or publicly demand what Britain should do out of sensitivity and respect in returning these foreign artifacts.

There is no excuse for not returning these treasures. While Britain chooses to refuse and ignore the issue, one can not stop from characterising the Brits as looters, thieves and arrogant people who don't have the balls to pressure their government to do the right thing. As long as the ordinary Brit citizens don't act to remedy the problem, well, they are as guilty as their government is.

I challenge the Brits on this forum to show cause to why these national treasures (not just the Greek marbles) are still rotting away on the shelves of the British Museum.

One of the points is that they are not "rotting away", as until recently the Parthenon was.

Another point is that many more people can appreciate them in the British Museum, rather than in some backwater of civilisation!

[denizaksulu]

I took a quick look at this
http://www.britishmuseum.org/

The British museum has national treasures from all over the world. Most of the exhibits were "acquired" in many ways, some of them illegal, others by war and some by donations, actions etc.

The museum strikes "deals" with other countries bringing in exhibits for display for a limited time following the return of the items as per the agreement. I consider this practice lawful and informative, promoting symbols of foreign civilizations to the British public to observe and study.

On the other hand, items acquired without written consent by their respective countries are not museum exhibits but LOOT. The colonial era of the British empire cannot be displayed in a form of "artifacts" violently stolen, illegally excavated or spoils of war. This is a disgrace, the British society must face and correct it by returning all the disputed items to the countries, where they belong.

It's embarrassing, to say the least, to the British Government, when countries file claims or publicly demand what Britain should do out of sensitivity and respect in returning these foreign artifacts.

There is no excuse for not returning these treasures. While Britain chooses to refuse and ignore the issue, one can not stop from characterising the Brits as looters, thieves and arrogant people who don't have the balls to pressure their government to do the right thing. As long as the ordinary Brit citizens don't act to remedy the problem, well, they are as guilty as their government is.

I challenge the Brits on this forum to show cause to why these national treasures (not just the Greek marbles) are still rotting away on the shelves of the British Museum.

One of the points is that they are not "rotting away", as until recently the Parthenon was.

Another point is that many more people can appreciate them in the British Museum, rather than in some backwater of civilisation!

@Backwater of civilisation?' Are you serious? Civilisation was born there...........or did I get that wrong?

[Jerry]

Jerry - I think they've changed their mind about that now. I read they suffered in London too. Stored in damp conditions and then cleaned with stuff that damaged them.

Here's a link to the dispute as to their cleanig and current condition,

http://www.parthenonuk.com/article.php?id=79

It seems that they have suffered at both locations.

[CBBB]

I took a quick look at this
http://www.britishmuseum.org/

The British museum has national treasures from all over the world. Most of the exhibits were "acquired" in many ways, some of them illegal, others by war and some by donations, actions etc.

The museum strikes "deals" with other countries bringing in exhibits for display for a limited time following the return of the items as per the agreement. I consider this practice lawful and informative, promoting symbols of foreign civilizations to the British public to observe and study.

On the other hand, items acquired without written consent by their respective countries are not museum exhibits but LOOT. The colonial era of the British empire cannot be displayed in a form of "artifacts" violently stolen, illegally excavated or spoils of war. This is a disgrace, the British society must face and correct it by returning all the disputed items to the countries, where they belong.

It's embarrassing, to say the least, to the British Government, when countries file claims or publicly demand what Britain should do out of sensitivity and respect in returning these foreign artifacts.

There is no excuse for not returning these treasures. While Britain chooses to refuse and ignore the issue, one can not stop from characterising the Brits as looters, thieves and arrogant people who don't have the balls to pressure their government to do the right thing. As long as the ordinary Brit citizens don't act to remedy the problem, well, they are as guilty as their government is.

I challenge the Brits on this forum to show cause to why these national treasures (not just the Greek marbles) are still rotting away on the shelves of the British Museum.

One of the points is that they are not "rotting away", as until recently the Parthenon was.

Another point is that many more people can appreciate them in the British Museum, rather than in some backwater of civilisation!

@Backwater of civilisation?' Are you serious? Civilisation was born there...........or did I get that wrong?

Yes, but look what it has become with rioting, bombings, kissing Ottoman ass (like over the last couple of days)!

[georgios100]

I took a quick look at this
http://www.britishmuseum.org/

The British museum has national treasures from all over the world. Most of the exhibits were "acquired" in many ways, some of them illegal, others by war and some by donations, actions etc.

The museum strikes "deals" with other countries bringing in exhibits for display for a limited time following the return of the items as per the agreement. I consider this practice lawful and informative, promoting symbols of foreign civilizations to the British public to observe and study.

On the other hand, items acquired without written consent by their respective countries are not museum exhibits but LOOT. The colonial era of the British empire cannot be displayed in a form of "artifacts" violently stolen, illegally excavated or spoils of war. This is a disgrace, the British society must face and correct it by returning all the disputed items to the countries, where they belong.

It's embarrassing, to say the least, to the British Government, when countries file claims or publicly demand what Britain should do out of sensitivity and respect in returning these foreign artifacts.

There is no excuse for not returning these treasures. While Britain chooses to refuse and ignore the issue, one can not stop from characterising the Brits as looters, thieves and arrogant people who don't have the balls to pressure their government to do the right thing. As long as the ordinary Brit citizens don't act to remedy the problem, well, they are as guilty as their government is.

I challenge the Brits on this forum to show cause to why these national treasures (not just the Greek marbles) are still rotting away on the shelves of the British Museum.

One of the points is that they are not "rotting away", as until recently the Parthenon was.

Another point is that many more people can appreciate them in the British Museum, rather than in some backwater of civilisation!

Are you British?
You appreciate them more?.... WTF?
Backwater of civilization? You obviously meant "cradle of civilization".

When Acropolis was designed and build by Greek Architects and engineers, "England" was a barbarians paradise, a no man's land...
Pity, your avatar displays big ears... you ain't "heard" nothing yet!

[Gasman]

Well Jerry, as with most things, it does depend on who is giving the account. But I believe they didn't have the sophisticated cleaning equipment and methods back then anyway so anyone who cleaned them would probably have damaged them.

Argument seems to rise from the fact that Elgin was given permission to take away anything lying around. He actually employed people to chop away whole portions of wall to get these. He did not have permission for that (allegedly).

But they were hardly being revered back then, the building was being used as a munitions dump or something. And there is no saying they wouldn't have been destroyed or plundered if they hadn't been taken.

I disagree they are 'rotting away'. They are housed in splendour and millions of people visit to admire them.

There does seem a case for giving them back because they were not taken with the permission of the 'original' owners. (Bit like property in the north?) But the Brits have treasure purloined from all over the globe in their heyday. I suspect this would set off a chain reaction of others wanting their stuff back.

Who is to say whether the 'original' owners would not have flogged them off anyway or that they would have become damaged in some conflict? They are at least safe and can be seen I suppose.

Does seem daft that some are in one country and some in another. I think Greece is calling louder for them since they built a splendid new home for them.