Egypt reclaims ancient treasures from UK and Germany (PHOTOS)

The recovered artifacts include a mummy skull, amulets, and a funerary stela, officials have said

Egypt has recovered 13 ancient artifacts from the UK and Germany as part of efforts to return illegally exported cultural heritage, the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said on Sunday.

The ministry said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and with the assistance of all three countries. Artifacts from the UK had been seized by the London Metropolitan Police, which confirmed they were smuggled from Egypt through an international antiquities trafficking network. Items returned from Germany followed a notification from Hamburg authorities to the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin, confirming the artifacts had been transported illegally from the North African country.

The artifacts have been placed in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir for conservation and restoration work before going on display in a special exhibition.

According to officials, the items recovered from Germany include a skull and a hand from an unidentified mummy, as well as an ankh-shaped amulet, the ancient Egyptian symbol for life. The collection from the UK features a green faience vessel, a New Kingdom limestone funerary stela, a small red baboon-shaped amulet, and a small blue faience funerary jar – both dating to the 18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BC).

Also returned were part of a bronze crown decorated with a feather, cobra, and ram from a statue of the god Osiris dating to between the 22nd and 26th Dynasties (945-525 BC), a beaded funerary mask from the 26th Dynasty (664-525 BC), and several funerary amulets made of faience and black stone.

“The recovery of this group reflects the commitment of the Egyptian state, with all its institutions, to protect its unique civilizational heritage,” Sherif Fathi, minister of tourism and antiquities, said. He emphasized “the depth of cooperation and joint coordination in the field of protecting cultural heritage and combating illegal trafficking in cultural property.”

The repatriation comes amid broader calls across Africa for the return of cultural treasures. Speaking in Moscow in July, Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela Lucas said all artifacts removed from the continent should be repatriated. 

In June, the Netherlands returned 119 looted objects, including royal regalia and historic plaques, to Nigeria.

READ MORE: Europe has stolen Africa’s heritage. Will justice prevail?