2,500 years old artworks in a British museum could be returned to Greece

London, The Gulf Observer: The 2,500 years old Parthenon marbles on display at the British Museum may be returned to Greece.

The agreement on the return of the Parthenon statues, better known as the Elgin marbles in Great Britain, is nearing its final stage.

Chairman of the British Museum, former chancellor George Osborne is negotiating with the Greek prime minister.

According to reports in the Greek press, the agreement is almost complete.Greece is demanding the return of iconic statues from Britain, which have caused problems between them.

Also this week, an agreement was reached on the return of 72 items – the “Benin Bronzes” – from London’s Horniman Museum to Nigeria. The artefacts were looted in 1897 by British troops from the city of Benin in present-day Nigeria.

It should be noted that these ancient works of art, also known as the Elgin marbles, were taken from Athens to London by Thomas Bruce, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1801-1812. After being purchased by the British government in 1816, these works are displayed in the Duven Gallery in the British Museum.