Looted ancient objects return to Greek soil after long legal battle
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230521/looted-ancient-relics-return-to-greek-soil-after-lengthy-legal-tussle-1110500313.html
Looted ancient relics return to Greek soil after long legal battle
Looted ancient relics return to Greek soil after long legal battle
Ancient artifacts spanning historical periods ranging from the Neolithic to the Byzantine era are being repatriated to Greece after a legal battle, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced on Friday.
2023-05-21T13:47+0000
2023-05-21T13:47+0000
2023-05-21T13:47+0000
Greece
artifacts
Parthenon
elgin marbles
English Museum
Ministry of Culture
acropolis
beyond politics
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A batch of ancient artefacts spanning historical periods from the Neolithic to the Byzantine era are being repatriated to Greece after a 17-year legal battle, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced on Friday. The 351 antiquities in question include a white stone dating from the Neolithic period. statuette dating from the 4th millennium BC, a figurine from the ancient Cyclades between 3200 and 2700 BC, a bronze statue of Alexander the Great from the second half of the 2nd century AD. Without going into specifics, Mendoni praised the joint efforts of Culture Ministry officials, the Foreign Ministry’s legal department, the country’s judiciary and archaeologists to snatch the company’s extensive collection from an art dealer. British Antiques – Robin Symes Limited – which is being liquidated at the moment. Symes allegedly assembled the collection with the help of an extensive network of illegal traders. The current repatriation comes after an investigation was opened in 2006 into the company owned by the now disgraced British antiques dealer. Acting in close cooperation, the Italian and Swiss police recovered in 2016 archaeological objects, belonging to Symes, which had been stolen in Italy. Symes, once a famous London artefact dealer, was suspected of being in cahoots at the time with Italian grave robbers. Mendoni did not specify whether the consignment of items returning to Greece is somehow related to this discovery in the Geneva freeport warehouse complex. Greece is on a crusade to return looted artifacts from around the world. The most prominent works of art in this case are the Parthenon sculptures. Originally part of the Parthenon temple of the Acropolis in Athens, they were removed by the British diplomat Lord Elgin during the Turkish occupation in 1802. They were brought to Britain and are now on display in the British Museum from London. The UK has long maintained that Elgin was given permission to take them by local Ottoman rulers. Greece has always demanded the return of the sculptures on display at the British Museum, saying they are “the product of theft”. The campaign to return the works continues. Meanwhile, in a reunification ceremony in Athens, three fragments of the Parthenon were brought to the Greek capital and its Acropolis museum from the Vatican.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230105/removal-of-greek-parthenon-marbles-likened-to-stripping-salisbury-of-stonehenge-by-uks-stephen-fry-1106060559.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230325/vatican-returns-three-fragments-of-parthenon-to-greece-1108775347.html
Greece
2023
News
en_GB
ancient artifacts, neolithic, byzantine, returnee to greece, legal battle, greek culture minister, lina mendoni, british british museum, greek government, property battle, elgin marbles, parthenon sculptures, removed from acropolis
ancient artifacts, neolithic, byzantine, returnee to greece, legal battle, greek culture minister, lina mendoni, british british museum, greek government, property battle, elgin marbles, parthenon sculptures, removed from acropolis
Greece’s recent recovery of ancient artefacts comes in the face of a protracted legal tussle between the UK’s British Museum and the Greek government over the fate of the ‘Elgin Marbles’ – the Parthenon sculptures, which have been removed of the Acropolis more than 200 years ago.
A consignment of ancient artifacts spanning historical periods from the Neolithic to the Byzantine era is being repatriated to Greece after a 17-year legal battle, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced on Friday.
The 351 antiquities in question include a white stone statuette from the Neolithic period dating from the 4th millennium BC, a figurine from the ancient Cyclades between 3200 and 2700 BC, a bronze statue of Alexander the Great of the second half of the 2nd century AD.
Without going into specific details, Mendoni praised the joint efforts of officials from the Ministry of Culture, the legal service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country’s justice system and archaeologists to wrest the vast collection from society from a dealer. of British Antiques – Robin Symes Limited. – which is currently in liquidation.
Symes allegedly assembled the collection with the help of an extensive network of illegal traders.
The current repatriation comes after an investigation was launched in 2006 into the company owned by the now disgraced British antiques dealer. Acting in close cooperation, the Italian and Swiss police recovered in 2016 archaeological objects, belonging to Symes, which had been stolen in Italy. Symes, once a famous London artefact dealer, was suspected of being in cahoots at the time with Italian grave robbers. Mendoni did not specify whether the consignment of items returning to Greece is in any way related to this discovery at the Geneva Freeport warehouse complex.
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