The Egyptian authorities have recovered three artefacts from Germany. A delegation from the German Ministry of Culture and Media handed these artefacts over to the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin, and they will soon return to Egypt.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy stated that this recovery marks a significant achievement in the already remarkable record of Egyptian-German bilateral relations, emphasizing the shared responsibility in combating the illicit trade in cultural property and artifact smuggling. He highlighted that cultural heritage is a legacy for all of humanity.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail Khaled, explained that the recovery process began when the Hamburg Museum in Germany contacted the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin, expressing their desire to hand over the hand and skull of two ancient Egyptian mummies. Simultaneously, customs authorities at Frankfurt Airport seized an amulet in the shape of the ancient Egyptian symbol Ankh during an attempt to illegally enter the country from Britain.
In line with the commitment to the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the decision to return the artefacts was made following an official request from the Egyptian government. The Egyptian Ambassador to Germany welcomed a delegation from the Culture and Media Sector of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to receive these artefacts, which will soon be returned to their homeland.
Supervisor General of the Antiquities Repatriation Department, Shaaban Abdel-Gawad, stated that the recovered pieces include a gilded hand and head of a mummy, which had been displayed at the Museum of Art in Hamburg for over 30 years. Recent examinations revealed that they date back more than 2,000 years before Christ and belong to ancient Egyptian civilization, although the circumstances of their arrival in Germany remain unknown. The amulet, dating back to 600 BC, was confiscated by Frankfurt Airport authorities while attempting to be smuggled into the country from Britain.
