The 2012 London Olympics would represent a symbolic moment perfect for the return of the long-disputed Elgin Marbles from Britain to Greece, campaigners said Friday.
Representatives of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures (IARPS) -- which has members in 17 countries -- visited Athens Friday ahead of the new Acropolis Museum's inauguration on Saturday.
"We urge the United Kingdom to begin the process of reunifying the Parthenon sculptures in the (New Acropolis Museum)," said David Hill, the association's president, during a press conference.
"We believe that the occasion of the 2012 London Olympics would be an appropriate time to return the Parthenon sculptures to Greece."
Hill said the new museum "provides the ideal venue" as it is "within the sight of the Parthenon."
He said it was impossible to display the Elgin Marbles, as they are known in Britain after the aristocrat who expropriated them from Greece at the beginning of the 18th century, in their original state in their present setting, the smaller Duveen Gallery of the British Museum in the English capital.
The new museum includes a Parthenon room, specifically designed to accommodate the fifth century BC masterpiece.