The Mentor Shipwreck and the Disastrous Journey of the Parthenon Marbles to Britain

The British Museum in London is one of the largest and extensive museums on earth, containing approximately eight million works—objects taken from all over the world during the time of the British Empire. One of the most famous and controversial artifacts in its possession is a set of sculptures known variously as the Elgin Marbles, the Parthenon marbles, and the Parthenon sculptures; Greece has long been campaigning for their return to their homeland.

Many are perhaps familiar with the story of the Parthenon, which started its life as a Greek temple dedicated to the city’s patron goddess, Athena. Over the millennia, the structure was converted into a Christian church by the Byzantines, and subsequently into a mosque by the Turks. The Turks also used the Parthenon as a gunpowder storage magazine, which blew up during the Venetian siege of the city in 1687. It was in the early 19th century that sections of the Parthenon were taken to Great Britain.

The Parthenon sits within the Acropolis in Athens,  Greece. Source: BigStockPhotos