The museum will feature sit at the foot of the Acropolis and will open next year.

A stone carving from the Parthenon was the first to be removed for transfer to the new museum -- the slab portrays four youths leading bulls to be sacrificed for Athena.

"I am trembling, it touches my soul," said a tearful onlooker, 71-year-old Pelagia Boulamatsi.

"This is an ancient civilization that is the foundation of the world."

The cranes are relaying the carvings and other objects from the existing 130-year-old museum on the Acropolis itself.

Moving to the foot of the Acropolis will save millions of tourists from an arduous climb.

A floor of the museum will be dedicated to the Parthenon, with replicas in place of the carvings taken from the ancient temple by Lord Elgin in the 19th century.

The Greeks hope that the opening of the museum will encourage the British to return the missing sculptures.

"This museum protects and promotes the monuments in the best possible way and the request naturally re-emerges," said Michael Liapis, minister of culture.

Criticism of the project has come from Athenians objecting to the location of the new museums, along with architects disdainful of the museum's modern look.

"Some people said it should be built in the style of the Acropolis. I said there was no way you could match it," said Bernard Tschumi, the museum's architect.

"I'm very happy with its quality."

The moving of the first carving attracted protesters, resentful of the fact that two historic buildings are being knocked down to improve the view from the museum's restaurant.

"You don't demolish a city's history to build something new. This is just unacceptable," said Angelos Tsekeris, one of the protesters shouting slogans.

"It's a shame, they plan the ugliest intervention at the city's prettiest spot."