By Dr. Zahi Hawwas
I did not think that the British auction hall would violate and defy all international standards and resolutions
The head of Tutankhamun had been sold at an auction held on July 4. The British government approved the sale and export of the head.
Meanwhile, the auction hall did not submit any documents proving that the head had been legally removed from Egypt. This head represents the deity Amun-Re in the form of King Tutankhamun.
The head was robbed from temples of Karnak, Luxor by thieves of antiquities and I think that was done before 1970.
Unfortunately, the official of the Karnak Temples did not report to the police on the theft, so we do not have evidence of the departure of the head, which was removed from Karnak.
Thieves of antiquities transferred the head from Egypt.
It was known that the Egyptian antiquities were exported abroad until 1983, and the law was issued later prohibiting export or sale of any artifacts.
Any Egyptian or foreign citizen who wanted to transfer any antiquity from Egypt would go to the Egyptian Museum and obtain a permit stating that this piece was not stolen from inside a store, a temple or a cemetery.
The auction hall did not present any letter proving that the head was legally removed from Egypt.
It declared that head of Egypt's golden Pharaoh belonged to a UK prince.
“Live Science” magazine contacted the family, but they reported that the prince has no interested in art and did not have any special collections.
The hall was not was not probed by the British authorities for providing incorrect information.
It has been announced on BBC and CNN that this famous Egyptian king should be treated with full respect instead of showing his relics for sale.
His head should not be sold to a millionaire who may show it in a dark room in his palace and only the guests could see it when they visit his palace.
I said that there is an exhibition of King Tut that will be staged by Egypt on November 1st in London. The head can be displayed inside the exhibition and the story of his return to Egypt will be released, so the world will respect such a decision made by the hall.
The world will applaud all those responsible for the showroom.
Amr Adib, a well-known TV presenter, contacted me during my visit to Los Angeles, USA.
I told him that the great majority of the Egyptian people called for preventing the establishment of the Tutankhamun exhibition and preventing the English missions, which number about 18, from working in Egypt.
In Britain there some who issue licenses to sell antiquities or exporting them without regard to their legal exit from origin.
The National Egyptian Committee for Antiquities recovered had convened under chairmanship of Dr. Khalid Al-Anani, Minister of Antiquities days ago. They decided to task the Egyptian Embassy in London to contract a law firm to file a civil lawsuit with the British courts.
The committee asked the British government to prevent removal of artifacts from English territories until the Egyptian authorities were informed of the documents of ownership.
The Egyptian Attorney General, Chancellor Nabil Ahmed Sadiq, gave instructions to the INTERPOL, the international police, to issue a tracking report of the Egyptian antiquities found for sale around the world and to hold them pending until verification of the title deeds.
I believe that curse of King Tutankhamun will descend upon those who sold the young king.
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