In a significant triumph for cultural diplomacy, the Egyptian Embassy in The Hague has officially received a granodiorite stone head dating back to the reign of King Thutmoses III. The artifact, which had been illegally smuggled out of Egypt, was repatriated following high-level cooperation between Egypt, the Netherlands, and Spain.
The handover follows commitments made during the recent visit of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands to Egypt for the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) inauguration. During his meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Dutch Prime Minister reaffirmed his country’s dedication to supporting Egypt’s efforts in recovering its smuggled heritage.
A Ceremony of International Cooperation
The official handover ceremony and the signing of the restitution minutes took place between Egypt's Ambassador to The Hague and the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science. The event saw a wide presence of Dutch officials, alongside the Spanish Ambassador to the Netherlands, representing her government in a testament to the tripartite institutional coordination that secured the piece.
Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, stated that the recovery of this head embodies the "constructive cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands." He emphasized that it reflects a shared commitment to international conventions aimed at combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
"The Egyptian state remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard its civilization and reclaim its heritage through continuous coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international partners—specifically the Dutch and Spanish governments, and the Spanish National Police, whose pivotal role in uncovering forged ownership documents was essential to this case," Minister Fathy added.
Tracking the Artifact
Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted that this step adds to Egypt's growing record of successful repatriations. Mr. Shaaban Abdel Jawad, Director General of the Recovered Antiquities Department, provided further details on the piece:
Description: A stone head crafted from granodiorite.
Era: Likely the New Kingdom, specifically the reign of King Thutmoses III.
Discovery: The piece was first flagged in 2022 while being exhibited at the TEFAF Fine Art Fair in Maastricht, Netherlands.
Action Taken: Dutch authorities promptly seized the artifact and initiated legal proceedings after identifying its illicit origin.
Diplomatic Milestone
The repatriation process gained significant momentum in November 2025, when Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof personally informed President El-Sisi of the decision to return the artifact on the sidelines of the Grand Egyptian Museum’s opening ceremony.
This collaboration is rooted in a strong legal framework; both nations are parties to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property—which Egypt ratified in 1973 and the Netherlands joined in 2009.
Follow the latest news on Google News
