Marbles campaigners call for urgent meeting with new BM Director as Turkish government confirms Marbles taken from Greece unlawfully

For two centuries Parliament and the British Museum have held that the Marbles were acquired lawfully, with written authorisation given by the Ottoman Sultan's Firman.

When the Parliamentary investigation asked to see the Firman, Elgin was only able to produce a document written in Italian that claimed to be a translation of the original.

Following confirmation from Turkish authorities that they can find no record of Elgin’s supposed authorisation for the removal of the Parthenon Marbles, campaigners are poised to descend on the Museum.

At 11 a.m. this Saturday,15^th June, (fifteen years since the opening of the Acropolis Museum in Athens), members of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles led by author Victoria Hislop, together with members of the Greek community led by George Gabriel, will gather at the British Museum to welcome its new Director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan and make their case.

Their request for an urgent meeting with Dr Cullinan to discuss the fate of the Marbles, will be one of the first to hit the new Director's desk. 

George Gabriel, BCRPM Committee Member said, “Elgin's excuse for not producing written authorisation for the removal of the Marbles never amounted to much more than “my mate kindly translated my homework into Italian before my dog ate it”.

The Turkish authorities have now put the final nail in the coffin of the argument that these treasures were taken lawfully.

We hope the British Museum's new leadership will embrace this moment and put right this historic wrong. Reunifying the Parthenon Marbles would restore the Museum's standing as a moral leader in the protection of our shared human heritage.”

Author Victoria Hislop, also a member of BCRPM, said, “We are delighted to extend our warm welcome and congratulations to Dr Cullinan following his appointment as Director of the British Museum.

We come with an urgent request for a meeting following the Turkish announcement.

We have never been closer to seeing this incredible work of art reunified and it is our solemn hope that Dr Cullinan can join Museum Chair George Osborne in the history books as the men who helped make it happen.”

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For more information contact George Gabriel on 07969 151841 or Marlen Godwin on 01780 460145 or 07789533791, and email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes to editors:

1. BCRPM has been campaigning for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles for 39 years and after the Acropolis Museum was opened on 20 June 2009. A crowdfunding campaign to return the £35,000 paid to Lord Elgin in 1816  was completed on 01 August 2023.
2. In June 2009 Chair of the BCRPM, Professor Snodgrass, Vice-Chair Christopher Price and Secretary Eleni Cubitt attended the official inauguration of the New Acropolis Museum with members Christopher Stockdale and Marlen Godwin.
3. Protest at the BM have spanned 15 years and there have been many memorable moments, the last was 18 June 2023 and the reciting of Lord Byron’s poem, the Curse of Minerva, plus prior to that 18 June 2022, Victoria Hislop flanked by English and Greek supporters sang happy birthday to the Acropolis Museum in English and in Greek. As was the year before that, 20 June 2021, when the current Chair Janet Suzman joined a small group of protestors outside the BM to hand out a leaflet entitled ‘Tell The Story’, refuting the reasons that the BM continue to make for keeping the Parthenon Marbles divided.
4. On 20 June 2020, silent protestors gathered outside the BM with banners. The museum was officially closed.
5. On 22nd of February in the British Museum, Room 18, The Parthenon Galleries, at 16:07,  after the voices of the women of Troy had concluded their stories, readings from a novel 'A thousand Ships' by Natalie Haynes, part of Project Season Women, directed by Magdalena Zira and Athina Kasiou, Professor Edith Hall unfurled a flag with a heartfelt request: Reunite the Parthenon Marbles.
6. On 20 June 20 June 2019, Hellena sang her song 10 times in Room 18, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-EkNkxl3-A
7. Several protests were made in conjunction with BP or not BP?, starting from 2018 to 2020. The first in 2018, BP or not BP?’s Danny Chivers spoke in Room 18for the first time about the plight of the Marbles. This was followed by Cypriot student Petros Papadopoulos of REUNITE, and Marlen Godwin of BCRPM in 2020 also celebrating ‘the year’ of Melina Mercouri.
8. On 15 January 2015, jazz singer Sarah Fenwick and guitarist Marinos Neofytou perform their song 'Never Again' from the duet's latest CD 'Jazz Origins', this is dedicated to the campaign for the reunification the Parthenon Marbles. The song can be heard on YouTube
9. On 22 November 2009, American student, Mary Phillips, made her one-woman silent protest and Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, stopped by briefly to have a look at Mary and declared it 'an elegant gesture'. At the end of the day, English student and Plinthian, Sofka Smales joined Mary for a photograph.
10. Student Sofka Smales stood on the 4^th Plinth in Trafalgar Square on 12 September 2009 and two days later delivered a roll of wallpaper with BCRPM founder Eleni Cubitt, to the then Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor. The wall paper carrying her written wish to see the Parthenon Marbles reunited in the newly opened Acropolis Museum.
11. Forty five students from Argostoli, Kefalonia flew into London to dance, sing and recite poetry in the courtyard of the British Museum on the afternoon of 03 May 2009.

A BCRPM letter was delivered to Nicholas Cullinan, the British Museum's new Director on 15 June by BCRPM campaigners and friends. The choice of the 15th was significant as this June, the Acropolis Museum celebrated its 15th anniversary.

Alexandros and David were inspired to cover the remonstration at the British Museum as this cause is very close to both their hearts, and  they were with us also in 2022. We look forward to their continued involvement with the movement going forward.

Below a link to the video that Alexandros and David artfully put together. It features interviews with Dame Janet Suzman and Victoria Hislop and a narrative of the events by Alexandros.  

"This campaign is contingent on public awareness, which in turn is raised through high-profile endorsements and large amounts of content being created on the topic. With this in mind, David and I are very excited to also submit a review on the current debate surrounding the campaign to reunify the Parthenon Marbles." wrote Alexandros post the 15th of June.

Watch: Talking Parthenon Marbles with Dame Janet Suzman and Victoria Hislop.

Alexandros Lees: Alexandros is a British-Greek lawyer who first studied the Parthenon Marbles during his Law degree at the London School of Economics. Alexandros’ Greek heritage, legal training, and interest in cultural property give him a unique passion for repatriation.

David Pinto: David Pinto is a Franco-American journalist, documentarian, and presidential campaign aide. A recent alum of Brown University, he earned a double bachelors degree in History and Film Studies. As a specialist in both international affairs and ancient history, David uses filmmaking to cover cultural property disputes.

Next steps: Alexandros and David are currently writing a thinkpiece on the prospects of repatriation, focussing on the effects of a Labour Government, increasing international support for repatriation, and growing public awareness of the cause. The article will feature interviews with prominent figures involved in the debate.