Lebanon Returns 37 Stolen Pharaonic Treasures to Egypt
Officials said the handover followed years of verification with INTERPOL and Egypt, and the collection includes masks, statues and two decorated wooden coffins.
- On Wednesday, Lebanon returned 37 smuggled pharaonic artifacts to Egypt during a ceremony at the National Museum of Beirut, where Culture Minister Ghassan Salame presented the items to Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa.
- Authorities seized the collection from the Port of Beirut in 2020, after which Lebanon spent years collaborating with INTERPOL and Egypt to verify the ownership and authenticity of the items.
- The collection includes masks, Coptic textiles, and wooden coffins; Laura Salloum, an official with the Directorate General of Antiquities, noted the artifacts were purchased by a Lebanese national without documentation confirming their source.
- "After investigating the identity and ownership of these items, it was determined that they belonged to Egypt," Salame said, emphasizing Lebanon's commitment to the international convention against illicit cultural trafficking.
- This handover follows recent global recovery efforts: last month, the FBI Art Crime Team returned 48 artifacts to Cairo, while Egyptian authorities recovered an ancient golden mummy mask from the Swiss capital, Bern.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Lebanon returns 37 smuggled Pharaonic artifacts to Egypt
Beirut, Sept. 17 (SANA) Lebanon has returned 37 Pharaonic artifacts to Egypt six years after they were seized at Beirut port following their illegal removal from the country, Lebanese authorities said. Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh handed the artifacts to Egyptian Ambassador Alaa Moussa during a ceremony at the National Museum of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. Salameh said Lebanese authorities worked with Egypt, Int…
Lebanon returns 37 stolen Pharaonic treasures to Egypt
Six years after border agents intercepted an illicit shipment at the Port of Beirut, 37 ancient Egyptian artifacts are finally heading home. In a ceremony at the National Museum of Beirut, Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salamé formally restored the stolen relics to Egypt’s outgoing ambassador Alaa Moussa—framing the historic handover as both a victory …
The Lebanese Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salame, handed over to the Egyptian Embassy 37 historical artifacts confiscated by customs officials at Beirut port six years ago. The ceremony was held at the Beirut National Museum and handed over to TASS. "We hand over to the Egyptian Embassy a collection of 37 artifacts. All of these antiquities were confiscated at Beirut Port in 2020, preceded by years of interaction between the Lebanese authorities…
Protothema
PentapostagmaSalameh explained that the 37 items were seized in 2020 at the port of Beirut, where they had arrived "from an Arab port" and that the investigation determined that they belonged to Egypt.
Lebanon handed over 37 archaeological pieces from the Pharaonic era to Egypt on Wednesday, six years after their seizure in Beirut during an attempt to smuggle. The ceremony was held at the...
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
