Copyright (2003) George Vardas

A view out to sea from the fishing village of Avlemonas. In 1802 the English brig, the Mentor, carrying part of Lord Elgin's looted sculptures from the Parthenon, sank just outside Agios Nikolaos harbour within sight of the township of Avlemonas and the castle (which is visible in the top right hand corner of the photograph). The sculptures were eventually retrieved by divers from the islands of Kalymnos and Kos and taken to London. In 1816 the Parthenon Marbles were sold by Elgin to the British Government and transferred to the British Museum where they remain to the present day.