Museum: London, Athens could share Parthenon Marbles in deal
Associated PressLONDON — The chair of the British Museum said Thursday that the U.K. and Greece are working on a deal that would see his institution’s Parthenon Marbles displayed in both London and Athens. Carved in the 5th century BC, they were taken in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin and ended up in the British Museum, which for decades rebuffed Greek demands for their return. Athens argues the sculptures were taken illegally when Greece was under Ottoman Turkish occupation and should be returned for permanent display beside the other surviving Parthenon sculptures that are in the Greek capital’s Acropolis Museum. In December, Pope Francis said he would send back to Greece three smaller fragments of sculptures from the Parthenon that the Vatican Museums have held for two centuries.