Egypt Repatriates 11 Smuggled Artefacts From New York
Jun 05, 2025
Egypt has recovered 11 ancient artefacts that were illegally trafficked to the United States, as part of its continued efforts to safeguard national heritage and repatriate looted antiquities. The items were formally handed over to the Consulate General of Egypt in New York following a joint investigation led by US authorities.
The retrieval was the result of close coordination between Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the New York District Attorney's Office.
Among the most notable objects are a vessel shaped like the ancient deity Bes, dating between 650 and 550 BCE, and a Roman-era funerary mask of a young man. Also recovered was a vividly coloured wall relief from the New Kingdom depicting the upper part of a human figure inscribed with hieroglyphs.
The collection further includes a tombstone from the 3rd–4th century CE, a 19th-century inscribed vessel bearing Arabic script, and a number of other culturally important items.
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