Athenian Acropolis Paper

The Athenian Acropolis could be considered the most representative of the Greek Acropolis. The Athenian Acropolis is located on the top of a mountain and it was used as a defense and as a site of the main places of worship. The entrance to the Acropolis is a gate called Propylaia performed by the architect Mnesikles. At the front right side of the Propylaia, there is an Ionic building named the Temple of the Athena Nike designed by Kallikrates. A great statue of Athena created by Phidias, was originally stood in the center.

To the right of where this sculpture was, there is the Parthenon. The architects that carried out this building were Iktinos and Kallikrates. The Parthenon is a Doric temple, which was designed with slight corrections in order to counteract the optical effects of perspective; therefore, all apparently straight lines were actually slightly sculpted curves in order to create harmony. To the left and at the end of the Acropolis, it is the Erechtheion, which is an Ionic temple and it has a platform supported by six caryatids.

Elgin was a British ambassador in Constantinople, he had the idea to take all the monuments of the Parthenon sculptures and take them to his country. As ambassador, he received some papers from the Ottoman sultan to take some pieces from the floor of the Acropolis. Elgin took most of the sculptural decoration of the monuments, columns, and hundreds of pieces and moved to England, and then he sold them to the British Museum where they are still displayed. The Elgin Marbles must return to Athens. Athens was attacked by the Persian soldiers.

The Athenians had to leave the city. Later the Athenians defeated the Persians, but Athens was on ruins and it had to be rebuilt. The man in charge about the reconstruction was Pericles. He reunited the better architects, sculptors and artisans and they rebuilt the city. The Propylaia is the entrance to the Acropolis. It was built on 437—432 BCE. The architect in charge of this building was Mnesikles. The centerpiece of the Propylaia has six Doric columns on the fronts, and inside there are two halls separated by a wall with several doors.

On each side, two terraces with gates gave access to the interior rooms. One of this terraces displayed pictures from that time. It was built with pentelic marble. The temple of Athena Nike was built on 427—424 BCE. The project was commissioned to Kallikrates, an architect who also worked in the construction of the Parthenon. It is made by Pentelic marble. On both fronts have four Ionic columns of limited height. Among its decorations, it had beautiful sculptures carved on it, and especially a frieze decorated with reliefs representing the fight of the Athenians against the Persians.

Something that stands was a relief of Athena holding her sandal. These sculptures are made with great delicacy and elegance of the clothes. The Parthenon was built on 447—438 BCE. The architects of this building were Iktinos and Kallikrates. It is a Doric temple. It consisted of eight columns on its two main facades and seventeen on the sides surrounding the entire temple. The front of the west represents the fight of Athena and Poseidon to get the patronage of the city. The frieze shows the representation of the Panathenaic procession, the most important religious festival in Athens.

The scene is along the four sides of the building and includes figures of gods, beasts and about three hundred and sixty people. The Parthenon had the great statue of the goddess Athena Parthenos, who made ?? Phidias. It was 38-foot-tall and made with gold and savory. The Erechteion is an Ionic temple. It was built on 421—405 BCE. The Erechteion is on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in honor of Athena and Poseidon. This temple is the achievement of an asymmetric building, with a complex floor that consists of three sections dedicated to different gods.

The main porch has six columns on its front, with its interior divided into different zones, a statue of Athena carved in wood was here. The second part corresponds to the north porch, which was decorated with four columns in front and two on the sides. On the left are three holes, which according to mythology, they were made by Poseidon’s trident. The south porch of the Caryatids is a small gallery of great beauty because of the sacred statues that serve as columns. The Caryatids are supporting the architrave. Those that are on the Erechteion right now are copies of the originals.

The originals are in the Acropolis Museum and the British Museum. Some of the arguments about the Parthenon Marbles should return to Greece are that the marbles belong to the Parthenon which is a universal monument and not only belong to Greece. If all the pieces return to Greece, historians would be able to analyze better the Parthenon and they could come up with conclusions or discover new things if it is appreciated as a whole. Another argument is that Elgin did not have the permit to take pieces from the Parthenon, he just had permit to take a few pieces from the floor.

The Parthenon Marbles are not the principal attraction in the British Museum, in the other hand if they return to Athens, tourists, historians and the Greeks can observe and analyze them in a better way. Some sculptures were sculpted in order to keep them white but this caused damage to the sculptures because the original paint was removed. One of the arguments why the British Museum does not want to return the pieces is due to Pollution, but now Athens has a museum next to the Parthenon which it is acclimated in order to prevent damage to the Marbles.

At the British Museum, there are amounts of other treasures, and the Parthenon Marbles are unique in the world that is why they should be returned to Greece, because they are part of its history and heritage. On the other hand about this debate, there are also arguments about why the Parthenon Marbles should stay in the British Museum. One of the arguments by which the Parthenon Marbles should stay at the British Museum is that it is the most visited museum in the world and has no cost.

People already know that the Parthenon Marbles are at the British Museum, they have been there for years, therefore; they are already an important collection of the Museum. Some experts say that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned. But others say they are safer in museums in other countries. In the case of the Parthenon Marbles, for example, experts claim that they are protected from pollution in Athens. If the museum returns the Parthenon Marbles a global war can begin and countries can start claiming their treasures.

The Parthenon Marbles have been at the British Museum by years in a good condition, if they return to Athens can be damaged during the transfer. Greece must be grateful to the British Museum for taking care of these marbles and should stay at the British Museum for standing there too many years. That is why the Parthenon Marbles should stay at the British Museum. I think what it really a matter is where the marbles are. The Parthenon Marbles were created as an integral part of the temple.

I am studying Travel and Tourism, and I know that when people travel or go to museums, they like to see and enjoy the complete exhibition, not only a few parts of the exhibition or collection. That’s why I think the Parthenon Marbles should be in their original place which is Greece. The marbles are not the principal attraction in the British Museum, they should be in their original place so that tourists can appreciate the entire collection. The Parthenon Marbles are a symbol of Greece culture and they should be to the place that they belong.