Acropolis statues going to museum

The Acropolis sculptures survived on the ancient hill in Athens for 2,500 years despite war, weather and looting. But their remaining days there are numbered.

Three hundred marble statues will soon be moved off the Acropolis to a new museum, Greek officials said Tuesday.

The sculptures, weighing up to 2.5 tons each, were carved in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. to decorate the Parthenon and other temples. Most are currently exhibited in a small museum on the Acropolis.

A new glass and concrete museum, built at the foot of the hill to house all the Acropolis finds, will open in early 2008, Culture Minister George Voulgarakis said. A huge operation will start in September to move the marble works by crane to the new facility. It will cost $3.4 million and is scheduled to finish by the end of this year.

The old Acropolis museum will close in July to facilitate the move, he said.