It was the centrepiece of an ambitious building programme on the acropolis of athens.
British museum marbles parthenon.
The temple s great size and lavish use of white marble was intended to show off.
The parthenon was built as a temple dedicated to the goddess athena.
A british museum spokeswoman confirmed that it allows a stolen goods tour run by an external guide.
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The british museum disagrees however claiming that the ancient marbles which are roughly half of a 160 metre frieze that adorned the fifth century bc parthenon temple were legally acquired by.
She said the elgin marbles were acquired legally with the approval of the ottoman.
The acropolis museum allows the parthenon sculptures that are in athens to be appreciated against the backdrop of ancient greek and athenian history.
The 2 500 year old sculptures were illegally torn off the parthenon in the 1800s taken to england and sold to the museum in 1816 by lord elgin.
The director of the british museum has provoked anger by suggesting the removal of the parthenon marbles from greece in the 19th century could be seen as a creative act.
The sculptures that remain are found in museums in six countries including the louvre and the vatican though the majority is.
Ian jenkins the parthenon sculptures in the british museum british museum press 2007 ian jenkins greek architecture and its sculpture in the british museum british museum press 2006 mary beard the parthenon profile 2002 william st clair lord elgin and the marbles 3rd edition oxford university press 1998.
Controversy over their acquisition by the british museum continues to this day.
The trustees of the british museum make the following statement on the museum website in response to arguments for the relocation of the parthenon marbles to the acropolis museum.
The parthenon marbles a major money making display at the british museum have been the subject of an ongoing dispute between greece and the uk.
In 1801 a british nobleman stripped the parthenon of many of its sculptures and took them to england.
All of the sculptures from the parthenon are in the british museum.
Elgin marbles collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details in the british museum london where they are now called the parthenon sculptures.