On Monday evening Rishi Sunak cancelled a scheduled meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the ongoing dispute surrounding the Elgin Marbles. The decision came after Mitsotakis publicly stated that the sculptures, currently housed in the British Museum, should be returned to Greece.

The Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Marbles, were originally bought by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, in the early 19th century.

Understanding the cultural importance of the Athenian sculptures Elgin – then Great Britain’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire – sought to protect them from being destroyed by the Ottomans, Islamists who had no interest in preserving the culture of ancient Athens, the birthplace of modern democracy.

Often these antiquities were simply broken up and used as hardcore in the construction of the aforementioned miserable houses.

A previous attempt by French artists to remove some sculptures and other relics had resulted in significant damage.

This was done successfully, and at considerable personal cost to Elgin himself.

In 1816 the entire collection was acquired by the crown for the sum of £35,000, considerably less than the costs incurred by Elgin.

They have been in the possession of the British Museum since 1816 and are considered a significant part of the museum’s permanent collection.

This statement highlighting the British government’s stance on the matter and the cancellation of the meeting has been widely interpreted as a strong message to Greece that the Elgin Marbles will not be returned.

The dispute over the Elgin Marbles has been ongoing for decades, with Greece arguing that the sculptures were taken illegally and should be returned to their country of origin.

The British Museum maintains that the sculptures were acquired legally and are an important part of world heritage that should be shared with all. The cancellation of the meeting between Sunak and Mitsotakis only adds fuel to the fire of this contentious issue.

The decision by Rishi Sunak to cancel the meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis has sparked further debate and controversy surrounding the Elgin Marbles. It remains to be seen how this dispute will be resolved, but for now, the sculptures will continue to be displayed in the British Museum.

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