Guided tours of the new exhibition "Meanings. Personifications and Allegories from Antiquity to Today" The archaeologists of the Museum offer guided tours of the new periodical exhibition NoIMATA. Personifications and Allegories from Antiquity to the Present, every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00, and every Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 and 12:00. With them you will browse among masterpieces of art that personify concepts, capture allegories, highlight human passions and emotions, raise thought and soul and masterfully unfold the thread that connects Antiquity with Byzantium, the Renaissance and our time. Reserve a seat here: events.theacropolismuseum.gr Festive program for children "Give shape and form ... to a unique celebration!" This Christmas our little friends will take paper, paints, scissors and paints, use all their imaginations and give face, shape and form to a beloved concept: the Holiday. And not only that... Together with the archaeologists they will discover how and why the ancient Athenians gave human characteristics to other concepts as well, such as the seasons, love, the sun, victory and many more. If you have children aged 4 to 10, we are waiting for you on Saturday 23/12, Sunday 24/12, Thursday 28/12, Friday 29/12 and Sunday 31/12 at 11:00 & at 13:00. Reserve a seat here: events.theacropolismuseum.gr (Reservations start on 12/18) The program is carried out by the Department of Education Programs of the Museum and its Information & Education Sector Acropolis Monuments Maintenance Service.   Christmas tunes Every Friday you can extend your visit to the exhibition grounds until 22:00 and every Friday and Saturday until midnight you can enjoy a festive dinner with a view of the illuminated Acropolis (restaurant reservations by phone: 210 9000915). On the other days and times, you can combine your visit with coffee, sweets and festive musical events on the ground floor of the Museum. On Friday, December 22 at 6 p.m. the Orchestra and Choir of the Center for Greek Music "Phoivos Anogianakis" in collaboration with the Department of Music Studies of EKPA will present traditional carols and songs from various regions of Greece, under the supervision of teachers Eleni Bailis and Evangelia Chaldaiaki respectively. On Saturday, December 23, at 12 noon, the Rethymno Coats and Jackets Club of Crete will present traditional dances and Cretan carols, while to close the year, on Thursday, December 28, 2023, at 12 noon, the Museum will host the contemporary music group Music Odyssey of the Department of Music Studies of EKPA which will play well-known Christmas and other popular songs, under the supervision of their teacher, Yiannis Malafi. Gifts for the holidays Before you leave the Museum, we are waiting for you in the store on the ground floor where you will find beautiful souvenirs inspired by the NoIMATA exhibition. Personifications and Allegories from Antiquity to Today, but also decorative items for your Christmas gifts. Among them is the Museum's charm for 2024, inspired by a small bronze wheel, dedicated to the sanctuary of the Acropolis around 480–470 BC. The wheel is considered a symbol of fortune and its unpredictable turns, instability and fickleness in human life.

The pieces were returned to Greek authorities during a repatriation ceremony attended by Greek Consul General Konstantinos Konstantinou, Secretary General of Culture Georgios Didaskalou, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Thomas Acocella. Nineteen of the pieces were voluntarily surrendered from New York gallery owner Michael Ward, while three of the pieces were seized from British art dealer Robin Symes. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, Chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit & Senior Trial Counsel, supervised the investigations, among others, while investigative support was provided by Elena Vlachogianni and Vasiliki Papageorgiou of the Department of Documentation & Protection of Cultural Goods of Greece’s Ministry of Culture. "Cultural heritage is an integral part of our identity as people and nations. It is therefore essential and nowadays crucial to protect and preserve cultural heritage for future generations. I express my gratitude for the ongoing and fruitful cooperation with the New York District Attorney’s Office, and for the return of the 30 antiquities to Greece,” said Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni. Some of the key pieces being returned include: - Marble Aphrodite: this marble statue is based on the famous Aphrodite of Knidos and was recovered from a storage unit that belonged to the convicted trafficker Robin Symes, where it had been hidden since at least 1999. - Cycladic Marble Figure: originally illegally excavated from the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea, this four-thousand-year-old marble figurine was seized from a storage unit belonging to a New York-based private collector by the ATU earlier this year. - Corinthian Helmet: this bronze Corinthian helmet is an example of popular helmet style for Ancient Greek warriors, particularly in the Archaic and Classical periods (c. 700 B.C.E-350 B.C.E). It was smuggled out of Greece, given false provenance in Germany, and put on consignment with the New York-based art dealer Michael Ward who pled guilty to Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree and admitted to purchasing stolen antiquities on consignment through his gallery as part of money-laundering scheme allegedly orchestrated by Eugene Alexander.

The exhibition highlights the importance the Battle of Chaeronea had in ancient times, at the transition from the Classical to the Hellenistic period. "The latter became an era in which Greek civilization was dominant for centuries and laid the foundations of what we call the Western world," the MCA notes. "The theme is the battle that opposed the Macedonian army of Philip II against that of the allied Greek cities of southern Greece - and in particular the Sacred Band of Thebes and the army of Athens - a conflict that for the first time brought the eighteen-year-old Alexander to the front line of history: Alexander who was soon to conquer the world with his great campaigns in Asia." The exhibition was presented at a press conference on Wednesday by the Museum's antiquity curators Panagiotis Iossif (professor, University of Radboud, Holland) and Ioannis Fappas (assistant professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki). Several of the objects are on public view for the first time, with archaeological evidence originating in excavations of the Polyandrion of the Thebans and the Tumulus of the Macedonians, both sites of multiple burials. Some have not been fully published, while several were studied in detail during preparations for the exhibition. One of the outstanding exhibitions is that of the tomb of the warrior from Igoumenitsa wearing unique battle gear, the historical Macedonian shield inscribed with the name of King Alexander, golden staters (coins) issued by Philip, Alexander, and his successors, and the bones of the Sacred Band of Thebes soldiers. Relating to today Andy Warhol's 'Alexander the Great' (1981) portrait from MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art, one version of his iconic work that was commissioned by Greek collector Alexandros Iolas, is also on show. The show also honors Greece's early archaeologists at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, including reports of their excavations (Panagiotis Stamatakis, Georgios Sotiriadis, respectively). In addition, it includes information on how the modern Greek state handled the battle and its monuments in its narrative, and how the newspapers of those times saw it. Slowly forgotten, the Battle of Chaeronea rekindled the public's interest from the end of the 18th century, when the marble pieces of the fallen Lion of Chaeronia attracted visitors, academics, and locals. The exhibition is divided into nine units. The last one, "The Battle of Chaeronea today" looks at how the battle can be reconstructed for younger generations that might not be familiar with museums. It includes a diorama of the battle with Playmobil figurines especially made by collectors for the show, with the help of Playmobil Hellas, and descriptions through comics. "We examine the event itself, what follows, we see what this famed Hellenistic world that opens up after the battle of Chaeronea is, and we experience its consequences to this day. All the gold that the Western world used up to 1492 is the gold that Alexander brought in his campaign. In other words, objects that had very long-term consequences and that we are still experiencing today," Iossif said. Fappas, whose professional interest in Boeotia is long term, said that "the exhibition is unique because the objects are unique. If the specific objects did not exist, the exhibition could not have been done." He especially thanked his colleagues at the Boeotia Ephorate of Antiquities and the Antiquities Ephorate of Thesprotia prefecture, "for trusting us with immovable objects for the exhibition." He also thanked the Ministry of Culture's conservation laboratory and the National Monuments Archive directorate, "which guards treasures and archival material of unbelievable significance for our homeland's modern history." MCA president and CEO Sandra Marinopoulos said that the Museum wanted to provide a platform to new archaeologists, who can bring new thinking, creativity, and enthusiasm. She also announced that in April 2024 the museum would host the first museum exhibition in Greece of 100 photographs by Cindy Sherman, whose work continues to inspire and influence modern art today. The show will be part of the Museum's contemporary art program. INFO: Museum of Cycladic Art Stathatos Mansion, Vasilissis Sofias & 1 Irodotou Street (Kolonaki) December 14, 2023 - March 31, 2024 Relating to today Andy Warhol's 'Alexander the Great' (1981) portrait from MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art, one version of his iconic work that was commissioned by Greek collector Alexandros Iolas, is also on show. The show also honors Greece's early archaeologists at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, including reports of their excavations (Panagiotis Stamatakis, Georgios Sotiriadis, respectively). In addition, it includes information on how the modern Greek state handled the battle and its monuments in its narrative, and how the newspapers of those times saw it. Slowly forgotten, the Battle of Chaeronea rekindled the public's interest from the end of the 18th century, when the marble pieces of the fallen Lion of Chaeronia attracted visitors, academics, and locals. The exhibition is divided into nine units. The last one, "The Battle of Chaeronea today" looks at how the battle can be reconstructed for younger generations that might not be familiar with museums. It includes a diorama of the battle with Playmobil figurines especially made by collectors for the show, with the help of Playmobil Hellas, and descriptions through comics. "We examine the event itself, what follows, we see what this famed Hellenistic world that opens up after the battle of Chaeronea is, and we experience its consequences to this day. All the gold that the Western world used up to 1492 is the gold that Alexander brought in his campaign. In other words, objects that had very long-term consequences and that we are still experiencing today," Iossif said. Fappas, whose professional interest in Boeotia is long term, said that "the exhibition is unique because the objects are unique. If the specific objects did not exist, the exhibition could not have been done." He especially thanked his colleagues at the Boeotia Ephorate of Antiquities and the Antiquities Ephorate of Thesprotia prefecture, "for trusting us with immovable objects for the exhibition." He also thanked the Ministry of Culture's conservation laboratory and the National Monuments Archive directorate, "which guards treasures and archival material of unbelievable significance for our homeland's modern history." MCA president and CEO Sandra Marinopoulossaid that the Museum wanted to provide a platform to new archaeologists, who can bring new thinking, creativity, and enthusiasm. She also announced that in April 2024 the museum would host the first museum exhibition in Greece of 100 photographs by Cindy Sherman, whose work continues to inspire and influence modern art today. The show will be part of the Museum's contemporary art program.

In the podcast on Thursday, he said the British Museum has been exploring a deal “ whereby they spend part of their time in Athens and part of their time in London - and we have Greek treasures coming our way in return. And that is, I think, something worth exploring.” Although Osborne has made similar statements before, it is viewed as greatly significant that he repeated them in the wake of the "diplomatic tension" caused by Sunak with Greece. In fact, Osborne noted, “ To my mind as chair of the British Museum it is all the more reason to press on with our efforts to try and reach an agreement with the Greeks.” "In fact, if anything, things have been rather clarified by this week. We obviously know we’re not going to get any particular support from the Conservative government,” he added.

Diplomacy failed when U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak abruptly called off a London meeting scheduled for Tuesday with Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis publicly voiced annoyance. Sunak’s spokesman linked the snub with the Greek leader’s using British television to renew his call, a day earlier, for the 2,500-year-old masterpieces’ return. Here’s a look at what the dispute’s about, and what could come next. Free-standing statues filled the triangular pediments that stood above the marble columns on the building’s short sides. Just below, sculpted panels stood at intervals along all four sides, while an unbroken strip of relief sculpture — the frieze — depicting a religious procession ran around the outer wall inside the colonnade. They were originally painted in bold colors that have since vanished. All survived mostly intact for more than 1,000 years, despite war, earthquakes, foreign invasions and the temple’s makeover first as a church and then a mosque. But in 1687, the Parthenon was blown up by a besieging Venetian army, and many of the works were lost. The survivors are now roughly split between the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum in Athens — with little fragments in a handful of other European museums. London holds 17 pedimental figures, 15 panels and 247 feet (75 meters) of the frieze. For decades, these were known as the Elgin Marbles, after the Scottish nobleman who started the trouble more than 200 years ago. Now even the British Museum goes by the preferred Greek form — Parthenon Sculptures. Besides, “marbles” lends itself to too many bad puns. WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? Ancient Greek sculpture has been admired for millennia, serving as a key artistic point of reference. For many, Parthenon Sculptures are its most striking example. They form a coherent group designed and executed by top artists — the Leonardo da Vincis of the day —for a single building project meant to celebrate the height of Athenian glory. HOW DID THEY END UP IN LONDON? More than a century after the destructive explosion, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire — of which Athens was still an unwilling subject — Lord Elgin obtained a permit to remove some of the sculptures. They were shipped to Britain and eventually joined the British Museum’s collection in 1816 — five years before the uprising that created an independent Greece. WHAT’S THE GREEK CASE FOR RESTITUTION? Athens says the works were illegally removed and should join other surviving parts of the group in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum, at the foot of the ancient citadel. This, the Greek argument runs, will allow them to be seen against the backdrop of the Parthenon, from which all sculptures have been removed for protection from pollution and the elements. The Greek campaign was loudly championed in the 1980s by Melina Mercouri, an actress and singer then serving as culture minister. It waxed and waned since but was never dropped and has been enthusiastically taken up by Mitsotakis. In his BBC interview on Sunday that triggered the diplomatic dispute, Mitsotakis compared the current situation to Leonardo’s Mona Lisa being cut in half and split between two countries. WHAT’S THE BRITISH ARGUMENT FOR KEEPING THEM? The British Museum says the sculptures were acquired legally and form an integral part of its display of the world’s cultural history. It says it’s open to a loan request, but must be sure that in such an event it would get the works back. So Athens should first acknowledge the institution’s legal ownership of the works — which Mitsotakis has ruled out. Successive U.K. governments have insisted that the sculptures must stay put. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? The current spat notwithstanding, the British Museum’s chairman said earlier this year that he’s been in “constructive” talks with Greece on a compromise “win-win” deal. George Osborne said that he was “reasonably optimistic” about striking a deal, but cautioned that “it may well not come to anything.” And Greek officials insisted Tuesday that the talks would continue. Meanwhile, Athens is trying to round up as many of the small fragments in other European museums as it can. That would add pressure on the British Museum, while U.K. public opinion is seen as increasingly backing the Greek demand. Following an initiative by Pope Francis in January, the Vatican Museums sent back three smaller fragments of sculptures from the Parthenon that they had held for two centuries. A year earlier, a museum in Sicily returned its own small fragment.  

Mitsotakis, meanwhile, said the dispute had helped draw international attention to Greece’s longstanding claim to the artifacts, part of a 2,500-year-old frieze that was taken from Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin. The artifacts are on display in the British Museum. The 2 European allies with center-right governments have been at loggerheads since Monday, when Sunak called off a scheduled meeting with Mitsotakis hours before it was due to start. During the British prime minister’s weekly question period in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Sunak said, “it was clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss substantive issues for the future, but rather to grandstand and relitigate issues of the past.” British officials were annoyed that Mitsotakis appeared on British television Sunday and compared the removal of the sculptures from Athens to cutting Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” in half. Sunak said Mitsotakis had reneged on a promise not to talk publicly about the marbles during his visit. “Specific assurances on that topic were made to this country and then were broken,” Sunak said. “When people make commitments, they should keep them.” Greece denied any such promise was made. The Greek government declined to comment further Wednesday. “In the spirit of the good longstanding relations between the 2 countries, which we intend to preserve, we have nothing more to add on this matter,” it said. Speaking before Sunak’s latest comments, Mitsotakis said he thought the spat “will not affect Greek-British relations in the long term.” “There was a positive side to the cancellation of this meeting, that it gained even more publicity … (for) the fair request of Greece for the reunification of the sculptures of the Parthenon,” he said in Athens. Critics questioned Sunak’s motivation for stirring up a fight with Greece. Since taking office 13 months ago, he has smoothed relations with the European Union and its member nations after years of acrimony over Brexit. Athens officials have pointed to the Conservative Party’s poor opinion poll ratings and Sunak’s long list of domestic woes, including a stagnant economy and an unmet promise to stop migrants reaching the U.K. across the English Channel in small boats. Opinion surveys suggest British voters do not care strongly about the marbles and have other priorities, such as the cost of living and the overstretched National Health Service. The leader of the U.K. opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, met with Mitsotakis in London on Monday. Starmer asked why Sunak was trying to “humiliate” the Greek leader. “I discussed with the Greek prime minister the economy, security, immigration,” Starmer said. “I also told him we wouldn’t change the law regarding the Marbles. It’s not that difficult, prime minister.”  

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is visiting London and had been expected to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing St. on Tuesday. He was due to raise Greece’s decades-old demand for the return of the ancient sculptures from the British Museum. Late Monday Mitsotakis issued a statement to “express my annoyance at the fact that the British prime minister has cancelled our planned meeting a few hours before it was due to take place.” “Greece and Britain are linked by traditional bonds of friendship, and the scope of our bilateral relations is very broad,” Mitsotakis said. “Greece’s positions on the matter of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart, together with the current major international challenges: Gaza, Ukraine, climate change and immigration. Whoever believes that his positions are well-founded and just is never afraid of engaging in a debate.” “The U.K.-Greece relationship is hugely important,” Sunak’s office said in a statement that notably failed to mention the disputed sculptures. “From our work together in NATO, to tackling shared challenges like illegal migration, to joint efforts to resolve the crisis in the Middle East and war in Ukraine. “The deputy prime minister was available to meet with the Greek PM to discuss these important issues.” Athens has long demanded the return of sculptures that were removed from Greece by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. The sculptures, which originally adorned the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropolis, have been displayed at the British Museum in London for more than two centuries. About half the surviving marble works are in London, and the rest in a purpose-built museum under the Acropolis in Athens. Appearing on British television Sunday, Mitsotakis compared the separation of the sculptures to cutting the Mona Lisa in half — a remark that annoyed the British government. The British Museum is banned by law from giving the sculptures back to Greece, but its leaders have held talks with Greek officials about a compromise, such as a long-term loan. But Sunak’s spokesman took a tough line Monday, saying the U.K. government had “no plans to change our approach, and certainly we think that the (British) museum is the right place” for the marbles. “These were legally acquired at the time, they’re legally owned by the trustees of the museum. We support that position and there’s no plan to change the law which governs it,” said spokesman Max Blain. “We have cared for the marbles for generations and our position is we want that to continue.” Mitsotakis met Monday with U.K. opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, whose party leads Sunak’s governing Conservatives in opinion polls. After Sunak’s meeting with the Greek leader was called off Labour said: “If the prime minister isn’t able to meet with a European ally with whom Britain has important economic ties, this is further proof he isn’t able to provide the serious economic leadership our country requires. “Keir Starmer’s Labour Party stands ready.” Greek officials said Tuesday that they will continue talks with the British Museum about bringing the Parthenon Marbles back to Athens, despite U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak abruptly canceling a meeting with his Greek counterpart where the contested antiquities were due to be discussed. But the U.K. government said ownership of the marbles is “settled” — and they’re British. The 2 European allies traded barbs Tuesday in a deepening diplomatic row that erupted when Sunak called off a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hours before it was due to take place. Mitsotakis had planned to raise Greece’s decades-old demand for the return of the ancient sculptures when he met Sunak at 10 Downing St. on Tuesday. The two center-right leaders were also slated to talk about migration, climate change and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. British officials were annoyed that Mitsotakis had appeared on British television Sunday and compared the removal of the sculptures from Athens to cutting the Mona Lisa in half. Sunak’s spokesman, Max Blain, said Mitsotakis had reneged on a promise not to talk publicly about the marbles during his three-day visit to Britain. “The Greek government provided reassurances that they would not use the visit as a public platform to relitigate long-settled matters relating to the ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures,” he said. “Given those assurances were not adhered to, the prime minister felt it would not be productive” to have the meeting. The Greek government denied Mitsotakis had agreed not to raise the subject in public. Mitsotakis met Monday in London with U.K. opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, whose party leads Sunak’s governing Conservatives in opinion polls. The prime minister’s office denied that meting had contributed to Sunak’s decision to cancel. Dimitris Tsiodras, head of the Greek prime minister’s press office, said Mitsotakis was angry at the “British misstep.” “Of course he was angry ... Look, Greece is a proud country. It has a long history. Mitsotakis represents that country,” Tsiodras told private network Mega television. Opposition parties in Greece, from the Greek Communist Party and centrists to far-right nationalists, also condemned Sunak for the cancellation. Left-wing opposition leader Stefanos Kasselakis said the issue of the sculptures goes “beyond party differences.” “It is a national issue that concerns the history of an entire people. And it is a moral issue concerning the shameless theft of cultural wealth from its natural setting,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Athens has long demanded the return of sculptures that were removed from Greece by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. Part of friezes that adorned the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropolis, the Elgin Marbles – as they are known in Britain -- have been displayed at the British Museum in London for more than two centuries. The remainder of the friezes are in a purpose-built museum in Athens. The British Museum is banned by law from giving the sculptures back to Greece, but its leaders have held talks with Greek officials about a compromise, such as a long-term loan. Earlier this year, museum chairman George Osborne — Treasury chief in a previous Conservative U.K. government — said the discussions had been “constructive.” Tsiodras said Tuesday that discussions “are ongoing with the British Museum for the return – I should say the reunification – of the marbles to Athens.” “I don’t think the effort stops there,” he said. “Clearly, there are domestic reasons and 2024 is an election year and (Sunak) is quite behind in the polls ... but the discussion with the British Museum is ongoing.” Sunak’s government appears to have hardened its position, however. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said that “the government set out its position about the Elgin Marbles very clearly, which is they should stay as part of the permanent collection of the British Museum.” And Blain said that “a loan cannot happen without the Greeks accepting that the British Museum are the legal owners” of the antiquities.

Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. "I'm a patient man, and we've waited for hundreds of years, and I will persist in these discussions. "We feel that the sculptures belong to Greece and that they were essentially stolen," Mitsotakis added before playing down the ownership aspect of the discussions and focusing instead on the importance of reuniting the sculptures with those in Athens. British officials say the works were acquired legally. Sunak in March ruled out any change to a law that stops the British Museum handing the marbles back to Greece permanently, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan. George Osborne, a former British finance minister who is chairman of the museum's trustees, this month expressed hope for a deal that would allow the sculptures "to be seen in Athens". Mitsotakis is due to meet Sunak on Tuesday, a day after a meeting Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, which is riding high in opinion polls ahead of an election expected in 2024. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Archaeological and historical evidence confirms that the building dates back to the 2nd Century AD, a period in which the Roman emperor Hadrian took steps to expand the city to the east. The building underwent a second building phase in the 4th Century AD. Other finds include at least 21 inscriptions and sculptures (Athena, Aphrodite, Dionysus, Pan, satyrs and dancers), as well as an altarpiece from the mid-1st century AD dedicated to Apollo.

The headless statuette from the 2nd century found in the warehouses of the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities at Hadrian’s Library is rare not only because it was carved from black marble, but also because of the figure’s apparent posture of submission. “Sculptures like this are associated with the projection of the Roman emperor’s power over foreign peoples,” explains Dimitris Sourlas, an archaeologist at the agency. “Although small in size, it stands out in the sea of white Attic sculptures kept in warehouses because of the dark stone,” said Sourlas, who presented the headless statue on Friday at the Kanellopoulou Museum, during a scientific meeting on the history and topography of the northern slope of the Acropolis.

The museum, one of the most visited in the world, has been dealing with the aftermath of thefts which highlighted internal failings and led to the exit of its director. “We have taken steps to improve security and are now confident that a theft of this kind can never happen again,” the British Museum’s interim director, Mark Jones, said in a statement. “But we cannot and must not assume that the security of the collection, in a wider sense, can be achieved simply by locking everything away. It is my belief that the single most important response to the thefts is to increase access.”   The announcement came as the museum’s Chair George Osborne was being questioned by parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport committee on how the thefts had happened and what steps were being taken to make sure they could not happen again. The museum sacked a member of staff over the incident, which is also being investigated by London’s Metropolitan Police. The proposed digitization project would take 5 years, with 2.4 million records to upload or upgrade. Its collection totals at least 8 million objects according to the museum’s website

All they need is a smartphone. Visitors can now pinch and zoom their way around the ancient Greek site, with a digital overlay showing how it once looked. That includes a collection of marble sculptures removed from the Parthenon more than 200 years ago that are now on display at the British Museum in London. Greece has demanded they be returned. For now, an app supported by Greece’s Culture Ministry allows visitors to point their phones at the Parthenon temple, and the sculptures housed in London appear back on the monument as archaeologists believe they looked 2,500 years ago. Other, less widely known features also appear: Many of the sculptures on the Acropolis were painted in striking colors. A statue of goddess Athena in the main chamber of the Parthenon also stood over a shallow pool of water. “That’s really impressive ... the only time I’ve seen that kind of technology before is at the dentist,” Shriya Parsotam Chitnavis, a tourist from London, said after checking out the app on a hot afternoon at the hilltop Acropolis, Greece’s most popular archaeological site. “I didn’t know much about the (Acropolis), and I had to be convinced to come up here. Seeing this has made it more interesting — seeing it in color,” she said. “I’m more of a visual person, so this being interactive really helped me appreciate it.” The virtual restoration works anywhere and could spare some visitors the crowded uphill walk and long wait to see the iconic monuments up close. It might also help the country’s campaign to make Greek cities year-round destinations. Tourism, vital for the Greek economy, has roared back since the COVID-19 pandemic, even as wildfires chased visitors from the island of Rhodes and affected other areas this summer. The number of inbound visitors from January through July was up 21.9% to 16.2 million compared with a year ago, according to the Bank of Greece. Revenue was up just over 20%, to 10.3 billion euros ($10.8 billion). The app, called “Chronos” after the mythological king of the Titans and Greek word for “time,” uses augmented reality to place the ancient impression of the site onto the screen, matching the real-world view as you walk around. AR is reaching consumers after a long wait and is set to affect a huge range of professional and leisure activities. Medical surgery, military training and specialized machine repair as well as retail and live event experiences are all in the sights of big tech companies betting on a lucrative future in immersive services. Tech giant like Meta and Apple are pushing into VR headsets that can cost thousands of dollars. The high price tag will keep the cellphone as the main AR delivery platform to consumers for some time, said Maria Engberg, co-author of the book “Reality Media” on augmented and virtual reality. She says services for travelers will soon offer a better integrated experience, allowing for more sharing options on tours and overlaying archive photos and videos. “AR and VR have been lagging behind other kinds of things like games and movies that we’re consuming digitally,” said Engberg, an associate professor of computer science and media technology at Malmo University in Sweden. “I think we will see really interesting customer experiences in the next few years as more content from museums and archives becomes digitized,” she said. Greece’s Culture Ministry and national tourism authority are late but enthusiastic converts to technology. The popular video game Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which allows players to roam ancient Athens, was used to attract young travelers from China to Greece with a state-organized photo contest. Microsoft partnered with the Culture Ministry two years ago to launch an immersive digital tour at ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games in southern Greece. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said the innovations would boost accessibility to Greece’s ancient monuments, supplementing the recent installation of ramps and anti-slip pathways. “Accessibility is extending to the digital space,” Mendoni said at a preview launch event for the Chronos app in May. “Real visitors and virtual visitors anywhere around the world can share historical knowledge.” Developed by Greek telecoms provider Cosmote, the free app’s designers say they hope to build on existing features that include an artificial intelligence-powered virtual guide, Clio. “As technologies and networks advance, with better bandwidth and lower latencies, mobile devices will be able to download even higher-quality content,” said Panayiotis Gabrielides, a senior official at the telecom company involved in the project. Virtual reconstructions using Chronos also cover three other monuments at the Acropolis, an adjacent Roman theater and parts of the Acropolis Museum built at the foot of the rock.