All articles tagged with #parthenon
In Athens, restorers inserted two marble blocks into the Parthenon’s western end, making the façade look whole for the first time in about 220 years. The EU-funded restoration, ongoing since 1975, aims to repair war, weather and looting damage to the 25‑century‑old temple, which drew millions of visitors last year.
For the first time in about 220 years, the Parthenon’s west façade is fully visible as external scaffolding is removed and a complex restoration is completed. The Acropolis Monuments Restoration Service reassembled the orthostates with new marble and precise placement, using a modern scaffold system and safety standards, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The milestone restores the monument’s architectural unity and reaffirms its status as a key symbol of Western civilization.
Greece’s Culture Ministry unveiled the Parthenon’s western side in its most complete form in more than two centuries, revealing a restored facade unseen in full for 200+ years.
Divers exploring the Mentor wreck off Kythira recovered a small decorative marble fragment with a water-drop motif that could be from the Parthenon, potentially tying the 1802 Elgin-era transport to the Elgin marbles controversy; the fragment measures 3.6 by 1.85 inches, most cargo has already been raised, and officials will conduct further conservation and research to identify its origin.
Divers exploring the Mentor, the Lord Elgin–owned brig that sank in 1802 while transporting Parthenon Marbles, recovered a marble fragment from the Acropolis. The fragment’s exact origin (Parthenon or another Acropolis feature) remains uncertain, adding fuel to Greece’s long-running dispute over the Elgin Marbles. Excavations have also yielded ship remains and 19th‑century artifacts; conservation and analysis are ongoing.
The Parthenon in Athens was briefly visible without scaffolding for the first time in years during ongoing restoration efforts, which began in 1975 and aim to stabilize and preserve the ancient temple, involving a large team of specialists and using original materials. The project is expected to conclude in 2026, after which the scaffolding will be fully removed.
The scaffolding around Athens' Parthenon has been removed, offering unobstructed views of the ancient temple during its restoration, with many tourists and residents enjoying the sight and the cityscape.
The Parthenon in Athens has been temporarily freed of scaffolding for the first time in about 200 years, offering visitors an unobstructed view of the historic temple, though conservation work will resume with lighter scaffolding soon, expected to be completed by 2026.
Rumors circulated online that Senator Ted Cruz toured the Parthenon in Greece during his vacation the day after deadly floods hit Texas. Cruz's office stated he was already in Greece on a preplanned family trip when the floods occurred and returned to Texas shortly after. The photos allegedly showing Cruz at the Parthenon were taken on July 5, but their authenticity could not be independently verified. The story highlights the spread of unverified claims on social media during a tragedy.
Despite intensive scientific analyses, the brown film on the centaur head from the Parthenon temple at the National Museum of Denmark remains a mystery. The film, first examined in 1830, contains oxalates, but its origin is unknown. Recent investigations found no traces of biological matter or paint, and the film consists of two distinct layers with different chemical compositions. The centaur head, brought to Denmark in 1688, has been indoors since before modern industrialization, making air pollution an unlikely cause. The mystery of the brown film persists, leaving researchers puzzled.
Three fragments of the Parthenon sculptures kept by the Vatican for centuries have been returned to Greece and unveiled at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. The decision to return the 2,500-year-old marbles was announced by Pope Francis last year, who described the decision as a gesture of friendship. Greek officials highlighted that the return of the fragments was a step to the further return of Parthenon sculptures, primarily referring to the much bigger collection held in the British Museum that Greece has been trying to recover for decades.
The Vatican has returned three ancient sculpture fragments from the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis to Greece, which will be added to the collection at the Acropolis Museum. The return of the fragments has added pressure on the British Museum to return the Elgin Marbles, which were taken from the ancient site in Athens more than 200 years ago. Greece has offered to lend the British Museum ancient Greek artefacts for exhibition if it returns the Elgin Marbles.
The Vatican has returned three fragments of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece, including a chunk of a horse's head, a bearded man, and the head of a boy. Greece hopes the move will encourage other institutions holding Parthenon sculptures to return them. About 50% of the Parthenon's original sculptures have survived, and almost half of them are in the British Museum. The marbles had been in the papal collection and Vatican Museums for centuries, but Greece has been trying to recover them since the beginning of the 20th century.
The Vatican has returned three ancient artefacts from the Acropolis to Greece, increasing pressure on the British Museum to return a collection of sculptures taken from the site over 200 years ago. The artefacts will be added to the collection at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. Greece has been campaigning for the return of the Parthenon sculptures for 40 years, arguing that they are at the core of its ancient heritage. The British Museum maintains that their return could undermine museum collections and cultural diversity globally.
Three fragments of the Parthenon temple, including the head of a horse and a young boy, kept by the Vatican for over two centuries, were returned to Greece in a gesture of friendship and solidarity. The Parthenon temple was built in the 5th century BCE on the Acropolis to honour Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. Its fragments are scattered throughout many renowned museums, and Greece has been trying to recover them since the beginning of the 20th century.