Acropolis Statues to be transferred to a new museum

For the very first time the stunning antiques, the Acropolis statues will be shifted from their original site to the specially built new musuem about 400 meters away from the original place.

During the first week of October, the Culture Minister Michalis Liapis quoted,

"Everything is ready for this historic removal. God willing and weather permitting the removal will start on Sunday, Oct. 14. A trial run will be held next week."

The start would be a 2 1/2-ton marble block from the Parthenon frieze which is a 2,500-year-old sculpted strip depicting a religious procession that ran around the ancient temple just below roof level.

This will be the first to make the 400 meter journey to the new place.



To this the senior conservator Dimitris Maraziotis told The Associated Press,

"This is one of the biggest and the least fragmented of all the blocks in the frieze"

Supervising engineer Costas Zambas said,

"The transfer will take at least a month and a half, although bad weather could prolong the operation. It will cost $3.55 million."



There will be a team of 35 workers and it will be done using three cranes each upto 17 feet high.

The shift would be done from the Acropolis hill into the intentionally built new museum that would have the glory of having such ancient works of art.

Zambas, a veteran of the long-running Acropolis restoration project who was involved in removing the remaining sculptures from the Erechtheion and Parthenon temples for display in the old museum said,

"Every single part of the operation will be difficult and requires great care"

The sculptures will be hoisted into styrofoam-filled boxes made of plywood and metal by wearing padded harnesses. According to Zambas upto four crates will make the trip each day.

Looking at the massive structures, their weight and their priceless nature the total operation for each is planned at 2 1/2 hours each.

Around 4500 such works have to be shifted in the whole process.

The uniquely designed building by the U.S.based architect Bernard Tschumi in collaboration with Greece’s Michalis Photiadis will be capped by a glass hall that will allow visitors a direct view of the ancient temple.

Although the new museum is expected to open in sections next year, the complete artifacts will probably take somewhere by 2009 to get completely settled in.

So until then let’s wait and watch the stunningly glorious works through the looking glass.