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ATHENS, Greece — About 1,500 years after Christian zealots vandalized the Parthe non’s pagan sculptures, Greece’s Orthodox Church on Wednesday formally blessed the new Acropolis Museum, set to open this weekend after years of delays.
Standing near the remains of an inaugural sacrifice for a 3rd century B.C. house excavated under the citadel, priests burnt incense and chanted blessings for the building where Greece hopes one day to display the Elgin — or Parthenon — Marbles.
Officials say the glass-and- concrete museum, about 400 yards from the Acropolis, will boost Greece’s old but fruitless bid for the return of the 2,500-year-old sculptures, displayed in the British Museum for nearly two centuries since their removal from the site.
