Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin

As the United Kingdom gears up for the general election on July 4, 2024, an important cultural campaign is gaining momentum amid the political fervor. The British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM) is urging UK voters to consider the issue of the Parthenon Marbles' reunification as they decide which party to support.

Popular British actor and writer Stephen Fry has compared Lord Elgin's removal of the Parthenon sculptures from Greece to Nazi Germany stealing the Arc de Triomphe during the occupation of France.

For the last decade, the actor has been campaigning for the return of the sculptures to Greece

One of the world's most intractable cultural disputes is back in the spotlight after a Turkish official cast doubt on the existence of proof long cited by Britain that it had legally acquired the Parthenon Marbles , 2,500-year-old sculptures taken from the Acropolis in Athens.

In a significant development expected to bolster Greece's stance, Türkiye has thrown its support behind the neighboring country's ongoing campaign to reclaim Elgin Marbles from the United Kingdom.

The British Museum seeks "realistic solutions" for the Parthenon Sculptures and a "new relationship" with Greece, following Turkey's intervention at a UNESCO conference when a Turkish representative claimed no Ottoman document legitimizes Lord Elgin's actions regarding the ancient Greek sculptures.

Turkey's spokesperson at a meeting of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP) last week denied knowledge of a written authorization allowing Britain's Lord Elgin to sell large sections of the Parthenon's sculptural decorations that had been removed from the ancient

Located on Areos Street, opposite Hadrian's Library, the building traces its origins back to the 17th century. Its distinctive features - two floors, an external staircase, and an internal courtyard with a well and fountain - classify it as a "classic" representation of the later Ottoman era.

"These were legally acquired at the time." Of all the sound bites heard during this week's furor on the Parthenon Sculptures, that one (attributed to a spokesman for Rishi Sunak) is among the most depressing.

There are several ways to respond.

It was no ordinary breakfast gathering. In June 1808, Sir Anthony Carlisle, a surgeon and leading member of London's elite, had prepared a surprise for his all-male, art-loving toffish guests, taking them to a room where boxing champion Bob Gregson stood posed like an exhibit.