Where do the Elgin marbles belong: Britain or Greece?

The Greek prime minister says the Elgin marbles “were stolen”. The British Museum remains defiant.

Visitors look at a section of the Parthenon Sculptures exhibit in the British Museum in London. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Today (16 November), the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Boris Johnson in London. Mitsotakis was due to make the Elgin marbles, also known as the Parthenon marbles, a key issue in their talk. The marbles are housed in the British Museum, but the Greek government wants them returned – or repatriated. The Elgin marbles are among many international objects held in the British Museum the possession of which is contested.

“Our position is very clear,” Mitsot akis said. “The marbles were stolen in the 19th century. They belong in the Acropolis Museum and we need to discuss this issue in earnest.”