Back Home, Italy: Italy Returns to Egypt Collection of Egyptian Artifacts Seized in Naples

Waziri inspects the carttonage mask

A collection of 195 artifacts and 21,660 coins were returned to Egypt on Friday after being seized while being smuggled into Italy in May. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The artifacts were returned in collaboration with the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Rome and the Italian Public Prosecutor at the Court of Salerno. Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Mostafa Waziri told Ahram Online that the recovered objects are dated from Ancient Egypt to the Islamic period.

The artifacts include 151 ushabti statuettes carved in faience, 11 pots, five cartonnage gilded mummy masks, a wooden sarcophagus, two symbolic wooden boats of the dead, two canopic jar lids and three porcelain tiles from the Islamic era. Waziri also thanked Italian authorities, the Egyptian prosecutor-general, Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian Embassy in Rome for their efforts in ensuring that the artifacts are returned.

“The return of the artifacts was executed in an unprecedentedly short period after Italian authorities reported the incident to Egyptian counterparts,” Waziri said, explaining that the usual repatriation process in such cases can take three to five years.

Waziri said that when the incident was reported to Egypt's antiquities ministry, Minister Khaled El-Enany formed an archaeological committee to inspect photos of the artifacts and called for an urgent meeting of the National Committee for Antiquities Repatriation to discuss the matter and take all the necessary procedures to return the artifacts to Egypt.

The committee is led by El-Enany, and its members are comprised of renowned Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, former Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El-Arabi, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prosecutor-general, and legal and security authorities.

In mid-June, Waziri and Mohamed Ezzat, senior coordinator at the International Cooperation Administration of the prosecutor-general's office, travelled to Salerno to inspect the artifacts and confirm their authenticity.

“According to the Ministry of Antiquities' records, the objects were not stolen from any museum or store gallery in Egypt,” Waziri asserted, adding that the artifacts are now undergoing restoration and will be put on display in a temporary exhibition at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. Over the past two years, Egypt has succeeded in repatriating 975 stolen artifacts from 10 countries.

Source: Ahram Online

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Back Home, Naples: Italy to Return to Egypt Collection of Artifacts Smuggled into Naples - Prosecutor-General

Egypt's prosecutor-general has announced that the Italian prosecution in Salerno, Italy has agreed to return to Egypt a collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts that were seized by Italian authorities in May as they were being smuggled into the European country.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek, a representative of the Egyptian prosecution will travel to Italy to supervise the procedures to return the artifacts.

Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Anani has also been tasked by the Supreme Council of Antiquities with travelling to Italy to supervise the delivery of the ancient Egyptian artifacts.

In May, Italian authorities seized in Naples a huge collection of artifacts from several countries, including from Egypt.

According to officials in Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, the objects were stolen from illegal excavation sites, as there are no records of the artifacts in Egyptian museums.

The artifacts include a collection of pottery from different ancient Egyptian eras, as well as parts of sarcophagi and coins. Also among the artifacts were objects from Islamic Egypt.

Source: Ahram Online

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Recovered Artifacts, France: Nine Smuggled Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Recovered From France

Among the artifacts were fragments of a sarcophagus, two cat statues, and a human head carved in basalt. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

A collection of nine smuggled artifacts recovered from France were handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Ministry of Antiquities on Thursday.

Eight of these artifacts were seized from a passenger travelling to London at a train station in France in 2012, according to Shaaban Abdel-Gawad, head of the repatriation department at the Ministry of Antiquities, speaking to Ahram Online. Among the artifacts were five fragments of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, two cat statues, and a human head carved in basalt.

The collection was confiscated by the French police and, after a series of legal and diplomatic procedures to prove ownership, Egypt recovered the artifacts in 2014.

The Ministry of Antiquities followed up the case over the following years in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign affairs, until French authorities returned the artifacts to the Egyptian embassy in Paris at the end of 2017, Abdel-Gawad told Ahram Online.

The ninth object was observed in the collection of a Parisian auction hall, and monitored by the Ministry of Antiquities. It was found to be one of a number of artifacts stolen from the storage of Elephantine Island in 2013. The ministry undertook legal procedures to prevent its sale, recovering and returning it to the embassy at the end of 2017. The object is a wooden mummy mask covered with plaster.

Source: Ahram Online

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News, Alexandria: Egyptian Authorities Foil Attempt to Smuggle Roman-Era Coins Through Port of Alexandria

The archaeological unit at Alexandria Port, in cooperation with the customs department, succeeded in foiling an attempt to smuggle 30 archaeological coins out of Egypt on last Wednesday. Written by/ Nevine El-Aref.

According to Hamdy Hamam, head of the Central Administration of Seized Antiquities Units at the Ministry of Antiquities, customs officials reported the discovery of the coins to the port's archaeological unit, which in turn assigned an archaeological committee from Alexandria's Graeco-Roman Museum to inspect their authenticity.

The committee then verified the authenticity of the coins and seized them according to Egypt’s Antiquities Law No. 117 of 1983 and its amendments.

The seizure consists of 22 bronze coins dating back to the early Roman era and the period between the first and third centuries CE. Also discovered were five bronze coins dating back more than 135 years.

 Source: Ahram Online 

Recovered Antiquities: Cairo International Airport Officials Foil Attempt to Smuggle Old Manuscripts out of Egypt

The find includes a document that dates back to the 16th century. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Officials of the Antiquities Unit of the Customs Department at Cairo International Airport on Sunday foiled an attempt to smuggle a collection of old manuscripts and documents that date back several centuries out of Egypt.

Hamdy Hammam, head of the Central Administration of Seized Antiquities Unit told Ahram Online that the manuscripts were contained in three books, while ten other documents were packed in seven separate parcels on their way to an Arab country.

According to Ali Ramadan, director of the Archaeological Unit at the airport's cargo village, one book is entitled Summary of the Speeches of the Princes of the Holy House.

The 277-page text is imprinted with red and black ink and bears several dates from 948-1299 Hijri (1541/2-1881/2 CE). 

The second book includes of 20 pages and is dated 28 Jumada II 1334 Hijri (1915/6 CE). The third has 56 pages and bears the date 1265 Hijri (1848/9 CE).

The ten documents belong to the Egyptian Survey Authority and are dated from 1239 to 1251 Hijri (1823/4 - 1835/6 CE).

An archaeological committee from the Ministry of Antiquities has inspected and verified the authenticity of the items. 

The documents and manuscripts were confiscated according to Antiquities Protection Law, No. 117 of 1983 and its amendments, and will be held until the investigation's conclusion.

Source: Ahram Online

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Back Home, Cyprus: Egypt Restores 14 Smuggled Artifacts

Director of Cyprus' Department of Antiquities, Marina Solomidou,
handed over 14 artifacts to Egypt

CAIRO - 2 May 2018: Director of Cyprus' Department of Antiquities, Marina Solomidou, handed over 14 artifacts to Egypt on Tuesday; the artifacts were stolen and illegally smuggled from Egypt in the late 1980s. 

This came on the sidelines of the initiative entitled “Nostos: Reviving Roots,” which was launched by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and his Cypriot and Greek counterparts in Alexandria on Monday. In this regard, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani expressed his thanks to the Cypriot authorities for their continuous cooperation with Egypt to restore these artifacts. In the same context, Director General of the Retrieved Antiquities Department of the Antiquities Ministry Shaaban Abdel Gawad stated that the process of repatriation began in 2017 when Interpol conversed with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. 

Abdel Gawad revealed that these artifacts date back to the ancient Egyptian era. They were smuggled after the Antiquities Protection Law had been issued in 1983, and arrived in Cyprus in 1986.  He further remarked that the Ministry of Antiquities, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and the International Cooperation Office coordinated to send urgent letters to Cyprus, stressing Egypt’s right to retrieve the artifacts, especially considering that the Cypriot law allows for antiquities trafficking. 

Abdel Gawad said that the restored pieces comprise of an alabaster vase decorated with the name of king Ramses II, in addition to 13 ushabti figurines and amulets of different shapes, sizes and materials, including amulets for goddesses Sekhmet, Neith and Isis. Upon invitation from the Cypriot authorities, Abdel Gawad travelled to Cyprus to inspect these pieces, which were kept at the Cypriot antiquities museum in Nicosia. Gawad delivered a lecture highlighting the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Antiquities to restore the smuggled artifacts and to make new archaeological discoveries in Egypt ..... READ MORE. 

Source: Ahram Online

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Recovered Artifacts, USA: Egyptian Mummy Fragments to Be Recovered From New York

Ancient Egyptian Mummies remains has been recovered from the United States. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities is set to recover from the US three fragments from three different mummies that had been stolen and smuggled out of Egypt in the early 20th century.

Shaaban Abdel-Gawad, supervisor-general of the ministry’s Repatriation Department, told Ahram Online that the fragments were seized in Manhattan when their owner tried to sell them.

Abdel-Gawad says that the fragments, which are in a very good conservation condition, consist of two hands and a head from three mummies.

The fragments had been bought by an American citizen in 1927 from an antiquities worker who stole them from an illegal excavation at an archaeological site in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

The ministry has authenticated the fragments, which are being recovered in accordance with Egyptian Antiquities law number 117/1983 and its amendment number 3 for 2010.

“The fragments are now in the possession of American authorities, and will be handed over to the Egyptian embassy on 8 January at a large celebration in New York,” Abdel-Gawad said.

Source: Ahram Online

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Back Home, Cyprus: 14 Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Including Amulets, Vase, to Be Returned From Cyprus - Ministry

The objects include an alabaster vase inscribed with King Ramses II's cartouche, and 13 amulets of different shapes, sizes and materials. Written By / Nevine El-Aref.

The Egyptian embassy in Cyprus is set to receive a collection of 14 artefacts that have been stolen and illegally smuggled out of the country within a matter of days, an Egyptian antiquities official has said.

The objects include an alabaster vase inscribed with King Ramses II's cartouche, and 13 amulets of different shapes, sizes and materials. The subjects include the goddesses Sekhmet, Neith, Isis, and the Udjat and Djed symbols. Ushabti figurines are also among the collection.

Shaaban Abdel Gawad, director-general of the Antiquities Repatriation Department, told Ahram Online that the retrieval of these objects started last year when Interpol reported that it had seized a collection of stolen ancient Egyptian artefacts in Nicosia.

The Repatriation Department, he said, carried out its own investigations and discovered that the seized objects were illegally smuggled out of the country after the passing of the Antiquities Law in 1983 and arrived in Cyprus in 1986, which means Egypt has a right of recovery.

In collaboration with Egypt's ministries of foreign affairs, justice and international cooperation, said Abdel Gawad, Cyprus has approved Egypt's right to retrieve the artifacts and they will be returned shortly.

Source: Ahram Online

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Back Home, Emirates: Sharjah Hands Back 400 Ancient Artifacts Smuggled Out of Egypt

The objects, from the Islamic and Pharaonic eras, are currently being examined at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Part of the recovered collection 

Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities has received a collection of 400 stolen and illegally smuggled artifacts returned to Egypt by the government of Sharjah.

The collection of Egyptian artifacts was seized by the Sharjah police in the United Arab Emirates and sent back to Cairo upon the order of Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al-Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

According to a ministry statement, Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany "appreciates the initiative launched by his highness Sheikh Al-Qasimi and the UAE authorities, which highlights his support for culture and preserving Egyptian heritage, a matter that reflects the strong and good relationship between the two countries."

El-Enany added that, once the artifacts have been unpacked and documented, they will be put on display in a special exhibition at the ministry.

Shaaban Abdel Gawad, director-general of the ministry's Antiquities Repatriation Department, told Ahram Online that the objects are very valuable, most of them dating back to the Pharaonic period and some belonging to the Islamic era.

He said they include the following: a collection of painted false doors carved in stone; copper statuettes of ancient Egyptian deities such as Isis and Osiris; a collection of amulets made of faience; and udjat eyes made of copper and decorated with blue glass.

Fragments of diorite statues in the shape of sphinxes are also among the collection. The artifacts are currently being examined and documented at the Egyptian museum, said Abdel Gawad.

Source: Ahram Online

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Recovered Artifacts, Hurghada: Hurghada Airport Officials Foil Attempt to Smuggle 18th-Century Coptic Icon

The antique religious object was seized at Hurghada International airport as a passenger attempted to smuggle it to Germany. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The trio icon

Antiquities officials at Hurghada International Airport foiled an attempt on Monday to smuggle an antique Coptic icon out of Egypt.

According to Naglaa El-Kobrosly, director of the Antiquities Units in Egyptian Airport, a passenger was attempting to smuggle the 18th century religious object to Germany.

Source: Ahram Online

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Recovered Artifacts, Paris: France to Return 8 Stolen Ancient Egyptian Artifacts on Thursday

Archived Images

During Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to France, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs announced that France is set to return to Egypt eight ancient Egyptian artifacts that were illegally excavated and smuggled from the country.

The artifacts were seized in 2010 after they were found in the possession of a French citizen at a train station in France, a source from Egypt’s antiquities ministry told Ahram Online.

The artifacts were seized after the citizen failed to produce a deed proving ownership, and were sent to the Louvre museum for authentication. The artifacts are to be handed to the Egyptian ambassador to France at a gala ceremony on Thursday. Further details on the nature of the artifacts are expected to be announced after their arrival to Egypt, the source said.

Source: Ahram Online

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News, Cairo: Attempt to Smuggle 19th Century Antiques to Lebanon Foiled By Egyptian Authorities

The Collection Subjected to Smuggling

The Badr City Antiquities Unit of Egypt's Customs Authority foiled an attempt Wednesday night to smuggle a collection of six 19th century porcelain pots and two metal jardinière to Lebanon. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Ahmed Al-Rawi, head of the Seized Antiquities Unit at the Ministry of Antiquities, explained that the items were seized at Badr City's dry land port, confiscated, and sent to the ministry because they fall under the legal category of Egyptian antiquities, which are protected by the Antiquities Law 117 of 1983 and its later amendment in law 3, 2010.

Ahmed Fatouh, Director of the Antiquities Units in Dry Land Ports, said that the collection includes a vase decorated with flora and fauna as well as a rose-colored tea set of five cups, complete with plates and a sugar container, which depict a European woman surrounded by plants.

Director of the Badr Antiquities Unit, Mamdouh Abu Amar, said that also among the confiscated lot were two metal jardinière bearing the monogram of Egypt's King Farouk. Illegally transported antiquities and heritage items are a common find at Egyptian ports.

El-Rawi told Ahram Online that authorities at Cairo International Airport recently seized original scripts for a well-known Egyptian radio program, "Tasali," which aired in the 1970s and 1980s and was presented by famous Egyptian anchor Inas Gohar.

Source: Ahram Online

News, Cairo: Ottoman-Era Artifacts Seized at Cairo Airport to Go to Museum of Islamic Art

The pieces include Coptic textiles, a collection of headdresses decorated with Arabic calligraphy, and Ottomman-era manuscripts and medallions. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

On Wednesday the Museum of Islamic Art will receive a collection of Ottoman-era Egyptian artefacts that were seized early this week at Cairo International Airport.

The objects were in the possession of a passenger who was trying to smuggle them to Istanbul.

Upon confiscation, an archaeological committee led by Hamdi Hamam, the director-general of the antiquities unit at the centre, approved the authenticity of the objects.

The pieces include 34 Coptic textiles decorated with foliage ornamentation in a bad conservation condition, a collection of headdresses decorated with Arabic calligraphy, and three 18th and 19th century manuscripts.

A round Ottoman tapestry woven in red velvet is also among the seized collection, as is a collection of Ottoman medallions and manuscripts.

Mamdouh Osman, the museum director, said that the objects would be restored and put on special display at the museum.

Source: Ahram Online

Recovered Artifacts, RED SEA: Attempt To Smuggle 18th Century Artifacts Foiled At Egypt’s Hurghada Port

Egyptian authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle six 18th century artifacts at a port in the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Ahmed Al-Rawi, the head of the Central Administration of Seized Antiquities Unit at the antiquities ministry, says that the seized artifacts were in the possession of a Saudi citizen.

The artifacts include a cane with a handle carved in stone bearing the shape of a man with a long beard wearing the Jewish cap (kippah), as well as five stone reliefs engraved with Hebrew text and other decorative elements.

A book of 29 papers written in Hebrew was also among the seized collection, with early studies suggesting that they could be the commandments of Judas Iscariot.Al-Rawi asserted that the artifacts were seized after approving their authenticity in accordance with law 117/1983.

Source: Ahram Online

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News: Egypt Foils Attempt To Smuggle Collection Of Coins From Different Eras

The Seized Atlas & Some Of The Seized Coins

The Archaeological Unit at Egypt’s Red Sea port of Safaga seized 204 coins from different historical eras that were being smuggled from Egypt to Dubai, according to Dr Aymen Ashmawi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Ministry of Antiquities.

Ahmed El-Rawi, head of Central Administration of the Archaeological Units in Egyptian Ports, said that the coins include 17 metal coins from the Graeco-Roman era, one from the Umayyad period, two from the Ottoman era and 10 from Khedival Egypt.

Coins from other countries were also seized.

Mohamed Etman, director of the Bahariya Archaeological Unit, said that the unit also confiscated an old Atlas Book from 1922.

Source: Ahram Online

Recovered Artifacts, Cairo: Antiquities stolen from Egypt's Jani Bek Al-Ashrafi Mosque recovered

The pulpit whose decorative item was stolen

The two wooden decorative elements were stolen in 2014. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities has recovered two wooden decorative elements stolen in 2014 from the mosque of Jani Bek Al-Ashrafi on Al-Megharbeleen Street in Al-Darb Al-Ahmar area in Old Cairo.

Alsaeed Helmy, head of the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities Sector at the ministry explained that in cooperation with the Tourism and Antiquities Police, the stolen items were recovered and the thief caught red-handed. The items were confiscated until the completion of investigations.

Helmy said the two elements would be sent to the Islamic Museum for restoration and then returned to their original location in the mosque.

Sofia Abdelhady, general director of antiquities of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar and Alsayeda Aisha, told Ahram Online that the recovered elements are carved in wood with geometric shapes and embellished with ivory. One of these elements, she explained, was stolen from the mosque's mimbar (pulpit) and the second from its alkotbeya (wooden cupboard on the wall).

The Mosque of Jani Bek Al-Ashrafi dates back to 830 AH / 1426 AD and is a part of a complex founded in the Mameluke period, which consists of a mosque, a minaret, a dome, a school, and a sabil (water fountain). It was built by Prince Jani Bek Al-Ashrafy, who was the Circassian prince of Al-Tablakhana (military musicians) during the reign of Sultan Bersby.

Source: Ahram Online

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Recovered Artifacts, Cairo: Qurans From Ottoman Era Seized at Cairo International Airport

One of The Seized Quran

A smuggling attempt of five Qurans was foiled today at Cairo International Airport. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Customs Authority at Cairo International Airport has foiled a smuggling attempt of a collection of five Ottoman era Qurans, found in three parcels arriving from Ethiopia.

Ahmed Al-Rawi, head of the Antiquities Units at Egyptian Ports, explained that the parcels were seized in the cargo village at Cairo International Airport earlier today. When the archaeological committee of the Cairo Antiquities Units inspected the packages they verified their authenticity.

The Water Container And The Swords Handles 

Hamdi Hamam, director general of the Antiquities Unit at Cairo International Airport, explained that the parcels include five Qurans from the Ottoman era written in large Naskh handwriting (a style of cursive calligraphy) on old paper and covered with leather.

He pointed out that some of the seized Quran were not organised according to the Quran's normal index but were a grouping of the Quran's verses.

Hamam said that the five seized Qurans are in a very bad state of conservation and are in dire need of restoration work.

Six handles of old swords carved in animals bones were also found in the parcels, as well as a water container made of animal leather. El-Rawi said all the artifacts are now being held as investigations continue.

Source: Ahram Online

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Back Home: Egypt Says It Retrieved 4 Stolen Artifacts From Britain

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced on Tuesday that it has retrieved from the United Kingdom four artifacts that had been stolen and smuggled out of Egypt.

The artifacts have now been restored in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the ministry added in a statement.

Shaaban Abdel Gawad, a ministry official, said that two of the artifacts were displayed at an auction house in the UK while the two other pieces were in the possession of an antiquities dealer in London.

Two of the artifacts were stolen during the security mayhem that prevailed in the wake of the 2011 Uprising, which resulted in the ousting of long-time president Hosni Mubarak, while the other two were stolen in 2013, according to the ministry.

In 2011, Egypt witnessed a period of security chaos during which the rate of antiquities thefts increased by 90 per cent compared to the pre-2011 rate, according to previous statements made by Egyptian officials.

Egypt seeks to regain illegally smuggled antiquities that date back to the pharaonic era.

Source: Middle East Monitor

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Recovered Artifacts, France: Ancient Egyptian Limestone Relief Recovered From Paris

Egypt recovered a limestone relief and a collection of 44 cosmetic containers from France. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities officially received today an ancient Egyptian limestone relief, which has been recovered from France, during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Cairo.

Shaaban Abdel-Gawad, the general supervisor of the ministry’s Antiquities Repatriation Department, says that the relief was on display at a Paris auction house. The ministry took all the necessary procedures to stop the sale of the relief and have it withdrawn from the auction.

Abdel-Gawad said that the relief was stolen from a temple at Saqqara necropolis during the 1900s and smuggled out of the country.

The relief, which is dated to the 30th Dynasty during the reign of King Nakhtenbo II, is about 44X50 cm in size and weighs about 80kg.

It is carved in limestone and depicts the goddess Sekhmet carrying the sun disk on top of her head. It has a line of hieroglyphic writing that contains the cartouche of King Nekhtenbo II.

Abdel-Gawad said that the ministry has also received a collection of 44 small and medium-sized artefacts that had been seized at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.

The collection includes cosmetic and jewellery containers made of beads, ivory, and bone, with some dating from different ancient Egyptian eras, though most are dated to the Coptic era.

Source: Ahram Online

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Recover Artifacts: Egypt Recovers Objects Stolen From Al-Imam Al-Shafie Dome

A door and decorative elements stolen from the Sultan Al-Kamel Al-Ayyubi shrine inside Al-Imam Al-Shafie Dome have been recovered. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The recovered door

Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Police succeeded in recovering a door and decorative elements stolen early March from the Sultan Al-Kamel Al-Ayyubi shrine inside Cairo's Al-Imam Al-Shafie Dome.

The recovered artefacts includes of a 70-centimetre tall wooden door of the shrine as well as a number of tiny wooden decorative elements.

The Sultan Al-Kamel Al-Ayyubi shrine, located inside Al-Imam Al-Shafie Dome, was subject to looting when thieves got inside the shrine after cutting barbed wire that covered its window.

Head of the Department of Islamic and Coptic Antiquities at the Ministry of Antiquities, Al-Saeed Helmi, said that all the objects were recovered and the criminals caught. The objects are in a good state of conservation.

Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Tourism and Antiquities Police in recovering the stolen objects. He highlighted strong cooperation between the ministries of antiquities and interior to "preserve and protect Egypt's cultural and archaeological heritage".

The recovered decorative elements

This is the second time in a month that the Tourism and Antiquities Police have managed to recover stolen antiquities. The first was when six lamps stolen from Al-Refai Mosque in the Citadel area were recovered.

Al-Imam Al-Shafie Dome is considered as one of the largest of its time, built in 1211 AD during the Ayyubid era to venerate Al-Imam Al-Shafie.

The dome has four shrines with wooden decorative structures: the first for Al-Imam Al-Shafie, the second for the mother of Al-Sultan Al-Kamel, the third for Sultan Al-Kamel, and the fourth for the family of Abdel Hakam, the family who hosted Al-Imam Al-Shafie.

Al-Imam El-Shafie was one of the four great imams whose legacy on juridical matters and teaching eventually led to the Shafie school of fiqh.

Source: Ahram Online