Long delayed Acropolis Museum scheduled for late 2007 opening

The end is in sight for the long-delayed Acropolis Museum project, with officials aiming for completion in late 2007.

Greek Culture Minister George Voulgarakis took journalists on a tour of the half-finished building in Athens Tuesday. "It is our ambition that by 2007, the museum will be open to visitors," he said.

Voulgarakis added that artifacts are scheduled to be moved into completed sections of the museum beginning this summer.

The museum, located near the ancient temples of the Acropolis, existed only on paper for decades. Once construction started, it was then scheduled to open in time for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

However, construction was delayed by engineering difficulties in the earthquake-prone region, legal battles with nearby residents, rising costs and the discovery of architectural ruins on-site.

The project is now about three years behind schedule and 25 per cent over budget, with the final cost now estimated at $129 million euros (about $181.5 million).

In addition to artifacts from the Acropolis, the Greek government also hopes one day to display the frieze popularly known as the Elgin Marbles in the museum.

In the early 19th century, when the Ottoman Empire occupied Greece, British ambassador Lord Elgin ordered blocks to be cut out from the Parthenon. The massive chunks, which depict ancient Greek figures and a procession through Athens, are now housed in the British Museum in London.

Greece and Britain have long contested the ownership of the priceless carvings. Voulgarakis said that, with the upcoming opening, his government plans to "intensify efforts" towards the repatriation of the marbles.

The recent decision by a German university to restore a piece of the Parthenon to Greece has increased pressure on the British Museum. In January, Heidelberg University agreed to return a portion of the frieze that it had in its collection to Greece.