Parthenon Marbles: British Museum Opens Door to Potential Loan to Greece

A significant shift appears to be underway regarding the longstanding debate over the Parthenon Marbles, as the British Museum now openly states on its official website that the return of the Marbles to Greece is a negotiable matter — in the form of a potential loan.

According to a report by the newspaper Apogevmatini, the museum’s website does not reference a permanent return, but specifically discusses the possibility of a loan arrangement.

This stance echoes earlier remarks made by Greek-British advisor to the House of Lords, Ioannis Chountis de Fabry, who had suggested to Apogevmatini that such a move would likely come after a change in the UK government.

The first signs of this policy shift emerged during an interview with Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan in The Times, where he publicly spoke for the first time about the idea of “lending” the Marbles and forming an “innovative partnership with Greece.”

On the relevant section of the Museum's website, it is stated that “trustees will seriously consider any request to borrow any part of the Collection, provided it is done under the terms outlined by current UK legislation.”

This development has been decades in the making. The call for the Marbles' return was officially made by Greece in 1983 and has remained a top cultural priority ever since. Now, with the British Museum signaling openness to a loan — and explicitly acknowledging the Acropolis Museum’s role — momentum appears to be building.

The website even notes: “In 2009, a new museum in Athens, the Acropolis Museum, was completed to house the remaining Parthenon Sculptures along with other archaeological treasures.”

Finally, according to Apogevmatini, which cites sources in the UK, approximately 80% of the issues surrounding the return of the Marbles have already been resolved. The remaining 20% — involving legal and technical details — will determine the final form of the reunification, even if it begins under the framework of a loan.

This latest development marks a pivotal moment in the decades-long cultural dialogue between the UK and Greece, potentially laying the groundwork for a historic return — or at least a symbolic first step.