Egypt has retrieved an ancient artifact illegally smuggled out of
the country after being displayed at an auction hall in London, the antiquities
ministry said. Witten By/ Nevine El-Aref.
The piece, a cartouche of King Amenhotep I, was identified
following observation of international auction websites, the ministry said in a
statement on Tuesday.
“The ministry took all the necessary measures to stop the sale of
the relief and withdraw it from auction,” it added.
The ministry did not elaborate on when or how the artifact was
stolen and smuggled out of the country.
The relic was earlier exhibited at the open museum of the ancient
temple of Karnak in the southern city of Luxor, the ministry's repatriation
department director Shaaban Abdel-Gawad said.
The Egyptian embassy in London received the piece last September
following coordination between the foreign ministry, the embassy and British
authorities, Abdel-Gawad added.
Earlier this month, the BBC reported that the only casing stone
from the Great Pyramid of Giza will be displayed at the National Museum of
Scotland in Edinburgh from 8 February.
The large block of fine white limestone will go on show for the
first time outside Egypt and the first time since it arrived in Scotland in
1872, the BBC said.
Abdel-Gawad told Ahram Online last week that Egypt would send an
official inquiry to Scotland asking for a certificate of possession and export
documents for the stone, adding that Egyptian authorities will take all
necessary step to recover the piece if it was proved to be smuggled out of the
country.
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