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The exhibits at the British Museum are not only exhibits of ancient Greek history, but also from Egypt and many others. I understand the importance of the idea of bringing the taken pieces back home, but I would like to ask you is it not a good advertisement if the Greek culture is presented to the public at the British Museum?

This is a good question. There are many pieces of antiquity at the British Museum and some of them could be exhibited there indeed. The most important thing, however, is to return the bas-reliefs and the pieces from the Parthenon because it is a historical monument that has suffered much over the centuries. It has survived not only natural destruction, but also fires, bomb damage in the days of Morosini during the 17th century, robbery, embezzlement by Lord Elgin in the 18th century and so on. Given that these parts of the temple are available, it would be better to place them where they belong.

You mentioned UNESCO earlier in our conversation and I would like to ask you if there are any new arrangements for the protection of historical monuments and precisely for limiting the black marketing of antiques?

There are constant discussions at UNESCO on all these issues you mentioned and there is a constant dialogue about the problems associated with illicit trade in objects of historic and archaeological value. For example, last week Greece signed with the USA an agreement for banning the free trade of these objects. They will be examined and if they do not have the necessary documents or a passport, certifying that they are lawfully acquired they should be confiscated.

On the day of the national holiday of Greece, there was free attendance to the New Acropolis Museum. The initiative was very successful and the queue of visitors began in the early morning and continued until the evening hours. Many people said they would prefer free entrance to the museum throughout the year. Do you consider something like that?

The board of the museum decided to pursue a specific policy and it includes an entrance ticket.

The museum is a state property. Is there no funding?

The state gave its permission to hold the proceeds from the sale of tickets in addition to the funding. At this point, however, the state is in a difficult position. Therefore, we tightened the belts and now we are covering the costs alone. In other words, we do not use public funding. If things get worse, however, we could require the Ministry of Culture to fund the museum. It is not easy, but we are still doing well. We are keeping the ticket price low so that the exhibits are available to greater numbers of visitors. People love the museum; they are binding with it, building a personal relationship with the place and the exhibits and returning again and again.

From your words, I understand that the crisis has reached the New Acropolis Museum.

How it should not reach it! It would be odd if the crisis, through which Greece is currently going, has not affected the museum. Strikes and protests block the centre of Athens often. This stops the flow of visitors. The same is true when the public transport was on strike and when there were different rallies in the centre. These are 10-20 thousand visitors less. But these are the problems of the country today. These phenomena will disappear and the crisis itself. We just have to be patient. We are doing well for now.

What could we expect from the museum? Are you planning further exhibitions in the near future, beside the permanent exhibitions?

The museum is still new and we continue to make changes to the permanent exhibition. Moreover, the excavations under the museum are going on. They are also part of the permanent exhibition, but are not finished yet. Briefly, we have to finish the things we have started first and then we will think about further exhibitions.

How does it feel to be the director and responsible for one of the finest museums in the world?

The feeling is very difficult to be explained. I could tell you that I started dealing with the museum issues about 11 years ago when the last competition was held. I went all the way to its opening. From the preparation through the licensing procedures, the transfer of the exhibits, the creation of the exhibition, its arrangement and its opening was the next stage of a very long road. I did not take this post when the museum was ready; I got it before it was real. Therefore, I could say that the New Acropolis Museum is an essential part of my life. Actually, it is the most mature period in my life that will be the end of my professional career. I made important excavations in northern Greece, I taught 35 years at the university. Now, the museum is my vocation.