January 10, 2008
New Acropolis Museum opens to the public
More coverage of the partial opening of the New Acropolis Museum to give the public their first close up views of the building.
From:
Homes Worldwide
9th Jan 2008
New Acropolis Museum opens to the public
A spectacular new museum opening in Athens is a “momentous achievement”, says the GuardianThe ground floor of the New Acropolis Museum – called an ‘enlightening meditation on the Parthenon and a mesmerizing work in its own right’ by the New York Times and a ‘momentous achivement’ by Jonathan Glancy of the Guardian – is to open to the public in February and through the Easter holiday.
‘The New Acropolis Museum reminds us of the duty to reunify the Parthenon Marbles, this lofty monument of the World Cultural Heritage, and in a resounding manner,’ Prime minister Costas Karamanlis said during a tour of the new museum.
‘The construction and operation of the New Acropolis Museum vitiates the final argument of those who refuse the fulfillment of this just demand,’ Karamanlis stressed, in a reference to the dispute with the British Museum over the Parthenon Marbles, known in the UK as the Elgin Marbles.‘The conditions are now ripe,’ Karamanlis declared. ‘The demand for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to the place where they belong – the demand that Constantine Karamanlis put forward as a national goal – can become action in our generation.’
Karamanlis was given a tour of the new Museum by New Acropolis Museum Organisation president and archaeologist Prof. Dimitris Pantermalis and Acropolis curator Alexandros Mantis.
The 5th century BC friezes, or Parthenon Marbles, were removed from the Parthenon by the British diplomat Lord Elgin with the permission of the local Ottoman occupation authorities in the early 19th century.
Elgin removed the priceless statues and other parts of the Parthenon temple and later sold them to the British Museum in 1816, where they have been housed since.
For further information, go to www.newacropolismuseum.gr or call +30 210 9241043.
- New Acropolis Museum to start admitting visitors : December 17, 2007
- Greek Prime Minister tours completed New Acropolis Museum site : May 18, 2009
- Greece calls for return of disputed Parthenon Marbles from Britain : December 17, 2007
- Greek Prime Minister draw parallels between Agora artefact return & Parthenon Marbles : May 8, 2007
- June opening date set for the New Acropolis Museum : February 14, 2009
- Karamanlis visits new museum site : October 10, 2006
- Greek Prime Minister tours New Acropolis Museum site : October 10, 2006
- Greek Prime Minister briefed ahead of New Acropolis Museum opening : June 15, 2009
Lorraine Thomas said,
01.18.08 at 5:27 am
I would like to know if the New Acropolis Museum will be open in April 2008. I am bringing a group to Athens on April 10. What are the hours it will be open? Appreciate your help very much. Thanks.
Matthew said,
01.18.08 at 8:38 am
I suggest that you contact the New Acropolis Museum directly to find out this information. You can find their contact details on their website: http://www.newacropolismuseum.gr/
My understanding is that the ground floor gallery will be open – no one yet knows an exact date for the opening of the remainder of the building however.
Anne Fisher said,
05.13.08 at 2:42 pm
I am coordinating a trip for the Royal Ontario Museum in the fall and would very much like to visit your Museum on Monday October 6, 2008. There will be 23 in our group. Can you please tell what will be open, when, cost if any, and any tours that might be available?
thank you very much
ken wood said,
03.06.09 at 9:49 pm
As i will be visiting greece at the end of April, part of my tour will be to visit the new museum, will you be having a petition for the visitors to sign (especially u/k visitors) appealing for the return of the elgin marbles or at least a compromise in both the u/k and greece to share this artifax for a period of years As a u/k resident i would be the first to sign, I am looking forward to my visit , so lets get this petition moving.
MATIAS MONTES said,
03.30.09 at 7:56 pm
I would like to know if the museum will be open by May lst
Matthew said,
03.31.09 at 1:56 am
It doesn’t open fully until June 20th. Until then, only the ground floor of the building (housing a temporary exhibition) is open.
Rosemarie Mirkin said,
06.16.09 at 9:00 pm
Is the museum open on Mondays?
Matthew said,
06.23.09 at 6:45 pm
From what I can find out it is not opened on Mondays normally:
From the information on this page
Opening times: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (last entry 7:30 p.m.), Tuesday to Sunday inclusive. Closed Mondays.