The Greek leader reiterated his country's longstanding call for the return of the Elgin Marbles at the solemn ceremony to inaugurate the giant 130-million-euro (S$264 million) glass and concrete building.

'Today the whole world can see the most important sculptures of the Parthenon assembled, but some are missing; it's time to heal the wounds of the monument with the return of the marbles which belong to it,' Mr Papoulias said.

The government says the museum, which dominates downtown Athens under the Parthenon temple, is the physical embodiment of a campaign dating back to 1983.

The museum, which had its origins in British jibes that Greece would have nowhere to display what are known in London as the Elgin Marbles if ever they were returned, was designed to host the reunited artworks.

Greek Culture Minister Antonis Samaras said late on Friday during a special advance opening for the media that the new museum space 'now demolishes that excuse.' About half of the Parthenon Marbles - fifth-century Greek sculptures, inscriptions and architectural columns from the Parthenon and other buildings on the symbolic Acropolis hill - are intact in the museum.

Of the remainder, most are held in London's British Museum after they were hacked away in the early 1800s on the orders of a British aristocrat and diplomat, Lord Elgin, under a deal with the ruling Ottoman Empire. Replicas have been erected in the new galleries.

Heads of state and government and cultural emissaries from 30 countries, including UN heritage chief Koichiro Matsuura and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, attended the gala opening, albeit five years late - it was originally due to open around the Athens Olympic Games.

The event was staged by Dimitris Papaioannou, the creator of the Athens Olympics opening ceremony, as a celebration of Greek antiquity and broadcast on public television.

The government also invited British Museum officials despite their refusal to return the marbles. Greece in turn rejected an offer to 'loan' them back, which Athens said would confer ownership rights it denies. -- AFP