A total of 72 pieces in the museum's collection will be returned following a request in January from Nigeria's National Commission for Museums & Monuments
Lord Elgin
A total of 11,315 of its readers participated to the British newspaper's poll
The Prime Minister last year rejected any attempt to return the sculptures to Greece, insisting they were legally acquired
"If our neighbours’ house is on fire while on holiday and we rescue their valuables, we should surely give them back when they return"
Last September, UNESCO asked the United Kingdom to reconsider its stance and enter into a dialogue with Greece
Among the finds stands out an instrument which, probably, belonged to the well-known surveyor, a British artillery officer, William Martin Leake
New facts give new hope
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni responded with a statement that the British PM "has not been informed about the new historical data of the Ottoman era"
"There are indeed many objects of historical value that must be returned to their original owners. However, none of them is as important as the Marbles of the Parthenon"
The New Acropolis Museum wants to display antiquities removed on the orders of Lord Elgin