Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-10-14

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Transfer of antiquities from old to new Acropolis Museum begins

[01] Transfer of antiquities from old to new Acropolis Museum begins

The sculpture, one of the heaviest exhibits to be transferred from the small outdated facility to the new Museum some 400 metres away on Makrygianni street, depicts a procession in an animal sacrifice, was packed in a specially-designed metal container that was successfully conveyed by the three cranes to its final destination in the Parthenon Hall.

The entire transfer operation of the bulkiest and heaviest exhibits is due to take three months, and will be filmed, on behalf of the New Acropolis Museum Construction Organisation (OANMA) by acclaimed director Pantelis Voulgaris and his crew.

Observing the operation on site were culture minister Michalis Liapis, the new Museum's New York-based Swiss-born architect Bernard Tschumi, members of the Committee for the Return of the Parthenon Marbles, and the ambassadors to Greece of the other 24 EU member states, including British ambassador Simon Gass, who later attended a reception at the New Museum's restaurant hosted by Liapis and the museum's president.

In a symbolic gesture, Liapis signed the first bill of transport and delivery protocol, calling the commencment of the operation a "historic event with ecumenical radiance". He explained that the new, ultra-modern museum protects, ensures and preserves the antiquities, and brings back to the forefront the demand for the restoration of all the Parthenon Marbles, 'an ecumenical demand corresponding to that of peace and human rights".

The first transfer took place under good weather conditions, given that such transfers will not take place when wind velocity exceeds five beaufort, while the porous statues will not be transferred when humidity is high.

The operation commenced at 9:28 a.m. and was completed by 10:45.

The specially-designed containers that will be carrying the artifacts are made of metal, with wooden crates inside covered with foam rubber to protect them from damage. Six such containers will be used in total in the crane relay to transport a total of 154 sculptures from the old to the new Museum, including the Caryatids, kouros (yong man) and kore (young woman) statues found on the Acropolis, as well as some smaller artifacts.

The total 246 sculptures that will be transferred to the New Museum weigh in at 113 tons, with the cost of transfer estimated at 1.6 million euro.

The three-crane system was selected after a study was carried out on ways to transfer the artifacts. The largest of the cranes has a height of 54 metres, with a 60-metre jib.

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