Greece renews demand for Elgin Marbles

GREECE'S president, Karolos Papoulias, used a visit to restoration work on the Acropolis in Athens yesterday to call for the return of the Elgin Marbles.

Mr Papoulias said his message was to "all those who are obliged to return some of the masterpieces back to their home".

He hoped "very soon we will be able to enjoy this aesthetic masterpiece in its entirety".

Demands for the return of the marbles, displayed at the British Museum in London, are mounting in Greece and have been reinforced by the return of other ancient Greek artefacts from countries such as Germany.

The visit coincided with the placement of a replica of an Ionic capital atop the second Ionic column of the western hall of the Propylae monumental gate to the Parthenon temple. The 2.2 tonne marble replica is an exact copy of a fifth-century BC Ionic capital.

It took artisans more than two years to carve by hand using the original techniques.

Decorated with spirals and mouldings, the capital replaces one of six originally in the gate, which also contained six in the more austere Doric style.