The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities received the two pieces from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, after Belgian authorities confirmed that the items had left Egypt unlawfully.
The restitution comes as part of Egypt’s steadfast commitment to protecting its archaeological legacy through close coordination with the foreign ministry, the Office of the Public Prosecutor, and all relevant Belgian counterparts.
A specialized archaeological committee from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir took custody of the artefacts at the headquarters of the foreign ministry, the statement added.
The pieces will now be transferred to the museum for preliminary examination and necessary conservation work, before being presented to the Museum Display Scenario Committee to determine their appropriate placement within the exhibition halls.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy praised the decisive role played by the foreign ministry and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in supporting the recovery process, as well as the constructive cooperation of the Belgian authorities, which enabled the artefacts’ return to their homeland.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s continued pursuit of all related cases, stressing that Egypt will take every legal and diplomatic measure required to reclaim any artefact that has been removed from the country illegally to preserve the nation’s cultural identity and millennia-old heritage.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the story of these restituted items dates back to 2016, when Belgian authorities seized four Egyptian artefacts displayed in a private gallery without any legal documentation proving ownership.
In 2022, Egypt succeeded in recovering two of the four pieces, including a wooden statue of a standing man and a small ushabti figurine of an unidentified person.
Egyptian authorities continued to pursue the remaining two items through a lengthy legal and diplomatic process that spanned several years, culminating in their retrieval—an achievement that marks yet another victory for Egypt in its battle against the illegal trafficking of antiquities.
Shabaan Abdel-Gawad, Director-General of the Department of Repatriated Antiquities and Supervisor of the Central Administration of Archaeological Ports, said that the recently recovered objects include a gilded and painted wooden coffin from the Late Period, distinguished by its intricate decorations reflecting funerary rituals and coffin-making techniques of the era.
The second item is an ancient wooden beard, once part of a Middle Kingdom statue, representing a significant symbolic element in ancient Egyptian sculpture.
He emphasized that this accomplishment forms part of a comprehensive national strategy through which the Egyptian state is working to reclaim its stolen heritage, combat illicit trafficking, and strengthen international cooperation in the protection of cultural property.
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