Ton Marble Sculpture Begins Journey From Naxos to Switzerland in Guinness
A colossal 500‑ton marble sculpture, The Lyre of Naxos, has emerged from a single block of Naxian marble quarried on the Greek island of Naxos. Carved by Tobias Balati over six months, the work stretches 12 m in length, 6 m wide and tall, making it one of the largest monolithic artworks ever produced.
The piece began an extraordinary multi‑day relocation on Tuesday, rolling on a 12‑axle self‑propelled platform that will shuttle it overnight to the port before a specialized vessel carries it to Basel, Switzerland. Engineers and police have cleared a bespoke route, even urging locals to keep streets clear as the sculpture makes its slow, carefully monitored trek.
Organisers hope the feat will earn a place in Guinness World Records, echoing the ancient story of the unfinished 6th‑century B.C. Kouros of Apollo left in the same quarry when antiquity’s technology failed. Today, modern engineering is finally moving what ancient builders could not, turning a millennial echo into a contemporary triumph.