In Greece, the west facade of the Parthenon was unveiled for the first time in 220 years
In Athens, for the first time in over two centuries, visitors to the Acropolis can see the west facade of the Parthenon in almost its entirety following extensive restoration work. This has been one of the most noticeable changes to the ancient temple’s appearance in recent decades.
In Greece, the west facade of the Parthenon has been opened to visitors at the Acropolis for the first time in approximately 220 years, and the ancient temple can now be seen in a much more complete form. The New York Times reported this, citing the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The ministry noted that the western pediment of the temple, built as far back as the 5th century B.C., now appears as complete as possible following many years of restoration. “For the first time in 220 years, the west facade of the Parthenon appears as complete as possible,” the Greek Ministry of Culture stated.
Restoration work began in 2017 and was carried out under the supervision of the Acropolis Restoration Service, which is part of the ministry. Restorers filled in the missing sections with marble slabs, striving to restore the pediment’s original form and architectural integrity. The Parthenon, erected in honor of the goddess Athena, was built of white marble and was once adorned with intricate sculptural compositions. Its two triangular pediments—the east and west—depicted mythological scenes recounting the stories of ancient Greek gods and legends.
Some of these sculptures were lost or removed about 220 years ago. The most famous case involves Lord Elgin, a British diplomat in the Ottoman Empire, who removed a significant portion of the marble decorations from Athens. These artifacts eventually ended up at the British Museum in London.
The issue of their return to Greece remains a subject of international debate. Since 2021, Greece and the British Museum have been negotiating a possible compromise that could partially alter the fate of the famous sculptures, according to the NYT.
Greece’s ruling New Democracy party is considering the possibility of calling early parliamentary elections as early as late September or October of this year.
