What Was The Parthenon Used For

Bit By Bit, Afghanistan Rebuilds Buddhist Statues

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The larger of the two Buddha statues that towered over the Bamiyan Valley in central Afghanistan. This photo was taken before a 2001 Taliban campaign that destroyed Buddha statues throughout Afghanistan. International teams are now working to restore the sixth century statues. (Zaheeruddin Abdullah/AP)

When the Taliban controlled Afghanistan a decade ago, they were fanatical about eliminating everything they considered un-Islamic.

Their biggest targets — literally and figuratively — were the two monumental Buddha statues carved out of the sandstone cliffs in central Afghanistan. One stood nearly 180 feet tall and the other about 120 feet high, and together they had watched over the dusty Bamiyan Valley since the sixth century, several centuries before Islam reached the region.

Despite international opposition, the Taliban destroyed the statues with massive explosions in 2001. At the time they were blown up, the statues were the largest Buddha carvings in the world, and it seemed they were gone for good.

But today, teams from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, along with the International Council on Monuments and Sites, are engaged in the painstaking process of putting the broken Buddhas back together.

Up to half of the Buddha pieces can be recovered, according to Bert Praxenthaler, a German art historian and sculptor, who has been working at the site for the past eight years. He and his crew have sifted through 400 tons of rubble and have recovered many parts of the statues along with shrapnel, land mines and explosives that were used in their demolition.

But how do you rebuild the Buddhas from the rubble?

"The archaeological term is 'anastylosis,' but most people think it's some kind of strange disease," said Praxenthaler.

For those in the archaeology world, "anastylosis" is actually a familiar term. It was the process used to restore the Parthenon of Athens. It involves combining the monument's original pieces with modern material.

On a recent day, Praxenthaler was leading a group through a tunnel behind the niche where the smaller of the two statues once stood.

"We are now on top of the Buddha," he explained. "There was just a wall and a small opening to sit on the top, or the head, of the Buddha. But now there is no head.

Andrew George MP expands on his arguments for why the Parthenon ...

By Andrew George MP

Whilst the current financial crisis dominates all current press coverage relating to Greece, there is no reason why we should use this as an excuse to ignore other key Anglo-Hellenic issues.

At present, news coming from Greece is predominantly negative – returning the Parthenon Sculptures (popularly known as the Elgin Marbles) would give people there something positive – a reason to celebrate and something that would increase the tourist draw to the country, helping to revive their economy. Co-incidentally, June 20th 2011 marked the second anniversary of the opening of the new Acropolis Museum in Athens – an event that raised the issue of the return of the Parthenon Marbles to a level of global interest. Britain however continues to act as though nothing has changed.

Although the Parthenon Sculptures existed in Greece for over 2000 years, the British Museum has had them for less than 200 years, yet seems to feel that they are now as much a part of the museum as they are a part of Greece’s history.

Whenever the issue of the return of these sculptures is raised, the same tired platitudes are heard – references to losing their marbles are made as though it is the first time anyone has tried this joke. At the same time though, this is often used as a way of sidestepping the real issue – a quick joke distracts from the fact that the arguments for the retention of the sculptures are all relatively weak.

For many years, one of the stock arguments used for retention of the Parthenon Sculptures was that Greece had nowhere to put them if they were returned. The New Acropolis Museum has now refuted this reasoning once and for all – few who have visited it would disagree that it creates a far better setting for the sculptures, allowing them to be seen in the context of the Parthenon upon which they were originally designed to be viewed. The sculptures were never loose pieces of artwork that could be located anywhere, but instead formed an integral part of the Parthenon – for this reason, if no other, it can never be claimed with any degree of honesty that they belong in any other part of the world. They were carved from local stone, designed to be seen under the brilliantly sharp Attic light – not to be displayed in a gloomy gallery in London.

As the 2012 Olympics draw closer, perhaps it is time for Britain to reconsider its relationship with Greece – and to think of the many things that it has given the world. As Greece hands over the flame to England, to start the countdown to the Olympics, perhaps it is the ideal time for Britain to consider giving something back in return.

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