Elgin Marbles moved for first time in over 50 years

The Elgin Marbles are on the move as the British Museum, London, prepares for its blockbuster show...

The London museum home of the Elgin Marbles has been one of the fiercest of all heritage controversies, recently attracting strong opinions from the likes of George Clooney no less (though Clooney might have been well-advised to do enough research to avoid undermining his case by mispronouncing Elgin, or the name of the Parthenon, before he publicly waded into the issue).  

So the news that they are to leave their current home at the British Museum may come as a shock to many. But unfortunately for those who believe the treasures should be returned to Greece, they are in fact simply being relocated from one part of the museum to another (though still extremely significant, as it is the first time they have been moved in over half a century).

Since 1962, the Parthenon sculptures have been housed in the British Museum's Duveen Galleries (earlier, they were protected in an underground Tube station for the duration of the Blitz) but have been the subject of much debate since the Earl of Elgin removed them from the Parthenon in Athens in the early 19th century.

They will now form the main attraction of next spring's blockbuster exhibition on ancient Greece - exploring 'the Greek body beautiful' in the new Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery  – requiring a painstaking removals process to ensure the ancient marbles remain intact.

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