Removal of the Marbles
The Elgin Marbles | Hadrian's Library
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1799-1803), took advantage of Ottoman rule in Greece to remove and subsequently smuggle out of Greece parts of the Parthenon’s sculptural decoration. In 1816, these sculptures arrived at the British Museum in London, where they remain on show to this day.
As seen on
The Parthenon throughout the years (XL)