Acropolis Museum

Despite the inordinate length of time taken to restore the Parthenon, the one thing that has sprung up since my last visit is the bright shiny new Acropolis Museum. Well a decent bit of EU funding here. And just about the only thing that seems to have been built on time. Possibly because of a political imperative, ie its the place the Elgin Marbles would go if they were ever returned. God forbid.

The Museum is a big lump of concrete and glass, and inevitably given its proximity to the Acropolis it is sitting on archaeology itself. Indeed one is supposed to be able to go down and look at the remains, but.. that isn't ready yet. However, you can see some of what is down there from the ramp leading to the museum.

Inside you wander up a wide ramp to the first floor, with cases of pottery on either side and bits of statuary dotted along the middle. On the first floor are sculptures from the temple before the current Parthenon. All very well laid out and signed, although I can't show you as for some reason photographs aren't allowed of this section. Which simply means people are constantly taking photos but with an attendant rushing around shouting "No photos, no photos"

As I mentioned in my Acropolis page, the original caryatids from the Erechtheion are here, now cleaned and protected from the damage caused by the Athenian air. (Of course given its ability to dissolve stonework you might wonder what it is doing to the human population. But some things are best not thought about.).

 

 The cafeteria is spectacular. Can't beat the view.

This is the view down the atrium.

 And then the top floor is devoted to the marbles removed from the Parthenon frieze. Some are original, but most are plaster casts in the British Museum (and one or two in the Louvres). Of course the obvious question is why don't we claim the remaining ones? After all, surely Lord Elgin was sold the lot? Aren't we owed the remainder? To be fair, what was left were the most damaged pieces. Among them was a panel taken down only recently. You can see the amount the surface has dissolved.

Although much is made of Elgin "violently wresting" the marbles from the Partheneon, the one thing we know is they are in far better condition than if they had been left in Greece. And you can bet that if they actually had the Marbles to display, the Museum wouldn't have been ready for them even by today.