Photos: Egypt receives 13 smuggled artifacts from Britain and Germany

Egypt Independent

5 days ago

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, received 13 artifacts that arrived in Egypt from the UK and Germany.
This came in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, and in cooperation with all relevant Egyptian, British, and German authorities, as part of the Egyptian state's ongoing efforts to protect and preserve its cultural heritage and recover artifacts that were illegally exported out of the country.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy emphasized that the return of this collection showcases how committed the state is to protecting its unique cultural heritage.
He hailed the bountiful cooperation between the Ministries of Tourism and Antiquities and Foreign Affairs, and extended his thanks to the British and German authorities for their cooperation in repatriating these artifacts to their original homeland, Egypt.
Fathy said this reflects the depth of cooperation and joint coordination towards protecting cultural heritage and combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
Working together to return the artifacts
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail Khaled, explained that the artifacts were recovered from the United Kingdom after British authorities, represented by the London Metropolitan Police, seized and confiscated them, following evidence that they had left Egypt via an international network specializing in antiquities smuggling.
Regarding the artifacts recovered from Germany, the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin received a notification from the Hamburg authorities expressing their desire to return a number of artifacts housed in the city's museum, after confirming that they had left Egypt illegally.
The Director General of the General Administration for the Repatriation of Antiquities and Supervisor of the Central Administration for Archaeological Ports, Shaaban Abdel-Gawad, noted that the artifacts recovered from Britain date back to various eras of ancient Egyptian civilization.
Several of the artifacts recovered from Germany included a skull and hand from an unknown mummy, in addition to an amulet featuring the ankh sign, he added.
The recovered artifacts were deposited at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, paving the way for maintenance and restoration work.
They will then be displayed in a special exhibition at the museum.