Egypt Recovers 13 Artefacts from the UK and Germany

As part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to protect and preserve its cultural heritage and reclaim artefacts that left the country illegally, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities—represented by the Supreme Council of Antiquities—has received 13 artefacts that have now returned home from the United Kingdom and Germany. The recovery was coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of State for Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs, and in cooperation with all relevant Egyptian, British, and German authorities.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said that the repatriation of these pieces reflects the unwavering commitment of the Egyptian state, across all its institutions, to safeguard its unique cultural heritage. He praised the fruitful cooperation between the Ministries of Tourism and Antiquities, Foreign Affairs, and Emigration, and expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by British and German authorities in returning these artefacts to their rightful home. This, he added, reflects the depth of joint cooperation in protecting cultural heritage and combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, explained that the recovery of the artefacts from the UK followed the seizure and confiscation of the items by London’s Metropolitan Police, after it was proven they had been smuggled out of Egypt through an international antiquities trafficking network. Regarding the German-held artefacts, the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin received notification from the authorities in Hamburg expressing their wish to return several pieces held in the city’s museum, after confirming they had left Egypt unlawfully.

Shabaan Abdel-Gawad, Director-General of the Department for Antiquities Repatriation and Acting Head of the Central Administration of Archaeological Ports, stated that the pieces recovered from the UK date back to various periods of ancient Egyptian history. They include: a limestone funerary stela from the New Kingdom depicting the deceased “Baser,” overseer of builders, in a devotional scene before the god Osiris, the goddess Isis, and the Four Sons of Horus; a small red amulet in the shape of a baboon, a protective funerary symbol associated with the gods; a green faience-based vessel and a small blue faience funerary jar, both from the 18th Dynasty; part of a bronze crown adorned with a feather, snake, and ram’s head, once belonging to a large statue of Osiris and datable to between the 22nd and 26th Dynasties; a funerary bead mask from the 26th Dynasty; and several funerary amulets made of faience and black stone.

The artefacts recovered from Germany comprise a skull and hand from an unidentified mummy, in addition to an ankh amulet—the ancient Egyptian symbol of life.

The recovered pieces have been deposited at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, where they will undergo conservation and restoration work before going on display in a special exhibition dedicated to recently repatriated artefacts.