The Elgin Marbles, nowadays known as the Parthenon Sculptures, are arguably the most controversial art collection in the world. It was exactly 200 years ago, in 1816, that the British Museum acquired the Elgin Marbles from lord Elgin, former ambassador to the Sublime Porte in Constantinople. The story behind Elgin's acquisition of the “Elgin Marbles” and the collection’s path to England were paved with a series of (un)fortunate events. It vividly depicts the response from the contemporary pub...