Glenn Maffia

MERELY a month now until I visit London’s rain splattered streets once more. Always high upon my itinerary are the amenable hours spent in the museums and art galleries which proliferate this gloriously cultured city.

New level on the horizon

Though this year shall be infinitely more fulfilling as, due to the Archaeological Guide to the Temple of Apollo we produced earlier this year, I have been invited on a personal tour of the Didyma Statues in the British Museum by the Curator of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Dr. Ian Jenkins.

A rare privilege indeed, and one of which I shall take full notice of the abundant knowledge and evidence in the possession of this highly regarded institution.

I am especially excited by the prospect of inspecting some twelve or so statues I have not seen previously which Sir Charles Newton recovered from the Sacred Way in 1857/58; and all in the company of such an esteemed personage.

A question of provenance

Interestingly my conversations with some very knowledgeable Turkish friends about these statues and their procurement by the British Museum revealed there is some dispute about the legality of Newton’s acquisition of the c.2600 year old sculptures.

We appear to have another ‘Parthenon Marbles’ (better known as the Elgin Marbles) contention of ownership simmering, for my Turkish friends insist Newton in fact “stole” the statues. I had never heard this claim previously.

Brief history of relations

Not being one to linger about on this subject, I quickly retreated home to consult my library of history and reference books. Naturally being British published books I fully expected them to validate my information that the Ottoman elite were paid a handsome stipend for the removal of artefacts from the then Ottoman Empire. That the books certainly confirmed.

Therefore I sort to refer to the historical relations between Britain and the Ottoman Empire at that particular time.

All evidence points to extremely cordial friendly relations between the two Empires;

both nations fought together to curtail the expansion of the Russian Empire during the Crimean War (1853-1856);

foreign loans were received from Europe during this time of attrition;

the Ottomans were undoubtedly the winning signatories at the resulting Treaty of Paris (1856);

the Ottomans were officially included in the European family of nations;

Queen Victoria presented the Sultan with the world’s largest Bohemian crystal chandelier for the centre hall of the newly completed Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul and Sultan Abdulmecid sent to Ireland (then part of the British Empire) substantial humanitarian aid during the (so called) ‘Great Famine’.

They could hardly be attributed with being adversaries. Therefore the claim of “stolen” may possibly be a modern interpretation that is steeped in nationalism rather than evidence.

Evidence sought

I shall ask Ian Jenkins if the British Museum have in their possession any documents that have been signed by Sultan Abdulmecid relating to this topic.

Hopefully they have, and they will produce evidence to support either one side or the other in this discrepancy.

Besides, even if these statues were returned to Didim where would they display them? I am absolutely sure they would not be housed in the controlled atmosphere conditions of the British Museum, would they even be accompanied by well informed texts on each individual statue?

Didim has no place to exhibit these wonderful pieces of our history. It does not even protect and maintain the archaeological area today, allowing illegal cafés, bars, shops and dwellings to encroach upon Didyma’s past grandeur.

Miletus Museum, I hear people suggest. Yes, well seeing it has been a regular source of plunder for thieves selling artefacts on the black market, I believe the safety of these statues would be in grave danger if they were ever to be housed there.

Let us see what the future unfolds for our past.