The head of a statue belonging to King Ramses II has been returned to the Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Last July, the Egyptian embassy in Bern, Switzerland, received the head of the statue, which had been smuggled out of Egypt several decades ago.
Thanks to the co-ordinated efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the head was tracked down and returned to its rightful place.
“This particular statue, dating back over 3,400 years, represents the head of King Ramses II and was stolen from his temple in Abydos. It is part of a larger group statue depicting the ruler alongside several Egyptian gods,” said Shaaban Abdel Gawad, Director-General of the General Administration for Antiquities Repatriation.
“After its recovery, the piece was entrusted to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir for necessary maintenance and restoration,” he added.
The General Administration for Antiquities Repatriation, in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Swiss authorities, was able to substantiate Egypt’s rightful ownership of the artefact, confirming its illegal departure from the country.
This accomplishment is due to co-operation between Egypt and Switzerland in combating illicit trafficking in cultural property, as outlined in their co-operation agreement.
This artefact left a London showroom in 2013 and was exhibited in several countries before finally reaching Switzerland.
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