The act of removing and seizing the Parthenon Sculptures by Lord Elgin is deemed a barbaric and unjustifiable action, given that they were originally intended to adorn his residence. These stolen sculptures are integral components of the same entity: the Temple of the Parthenon, which still proudly stands atop the Athenian Acropolis.
The monument itself calls for the return of its parts, to be once more complete in the eyes of humanity, and in the perception of the entire world. People should behold and intimately appreciate the greatness of architectural conception and execution, sculptural aesthetics, and the symbol of democracy. They should revel in its entirety beneath the light of the Attic sun that birthed it, experiencing its various aspects from morning to noon, twilight evenings, and under the full moon at night.
The time has come for the estranged sculptures to return from the British Museum in London and reunite with their counterparts in Athens, within the walls of the Acropolis Museum.
This demand is driven by the unity embodied in the monument itself, which reflects nothing less than the unity of our civilization.
Nikos Stampolidis
Director of the Acropolis Museum