Egypt has recovered 11 artefacts that were illegally smuggled to the United States on Wednesday, 4 June, following close coordination between Egyptian and US authorities.
The artefacts were officially handed over to the Egyptian Consulate in New York, after investigations by US law enforcement confirmed their illicit export.
The recovered items span several historical periods and include a ceramic vessel depicting the ancient deity Bes, a funerary mask from the Roman era, and a colourful wall relief from the New Kingdom.
Other artefacts include a gravestone dating back to the 3rd to 4th centuries CE and a 19th-century vessel adorned with Arabic inscriptions.
According to Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the operation reflects the state’s ongoing efforts to protect its cultural heritage and retrieve looted antiquities, in line with directives to prioritise repatriation efforts. The artefacts were confiscated in the US before being returned to Egypt.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mohamed Ismail Khaled noted that the return came after a criminal investigation by US authorities, while Shaaban Abdel-Gawad, head of Egypt’s Antiquities Repatriation Department, stressed the historical and artistic value of the pieces.
Egypt’s Consul General in New York, Howayda Essam, highlighted the importance of international cooperation in protecting cultural property and combating antiquities trafficking.
Egypt has ramped up efforts in recent years to repatriate artefacts smuggled abroad, with many now being returned through diplomatic and legal channels.
