A forklift truck slowly shifts a tall block of carved marble into place in the lobby of the new Acropolis museum. Electric drills buzz as the base is secured, while a worker sweeps up a scatter of white dust.

Antonis Samaras, the culture minister, watches closely as the display takes shape. He hopes the opening on June 20 of the €130m museum at the foot of the Acropolis hill in the centre of Athens will spark a revival of interest in Greece’s classical heritage.