Egypt has received 25 ancient artifacts looted and smuggled to the United States, concluding a three-year legal and diplomatic effort involving US authorities and private collectors. The items were officially handed over to Egyptian officials in Cairo on Monday.
The collection includes artifacts from various periods of ancient Egyptian history. Among the highlights are gilded wooden coffin lids from the Pharaonic era, funerary masks, statues, jewelry, and a Fayum mummy portrait dating between the first and third centuries CE.
A granite foot fragment made between 1189 and 1292 BCE, temple elements believed to be linked to Queen Hatshepsut, and a gold coin from the reign of Ptolemy I were also returned.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the artifacts had been illegally excavated from archaeological sites and were not taken from museum collections. He noted that the items reflect the depth and diversity of Egypt’s cultural heritage.
A joint committee from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the artifacts in Cairo. The items will be restored at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir before being displayed in a temporary exhibition.
The recovery resulted from cooperation between Egypt’s Consulate General in New York, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, US law enforcement agencies, and private collectors. Egyptian authorities launched the legal proceedings in 2022, and the artifacts were held at the consulate throughout the process until their return this week.
Shaaban Abdel-Gawad, head of Egypt’s Department for Antiquities Repatriation, described the operation as one of the country’s most significant in recent years. He praised the partnership with U.S. agencies and said efforts to recover more missing items remain ongoing.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said the recovery underscores Egypt’s unwavering commitment to protecting its cultural property. He explained that preserving these objects is a legal responsibility and a duty to future generations.
Fathy credited the achievement to effective coordination between Egyptian authorities and international partners. He emphasized that Egypt maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward violations involving cultural artifacts.
The recovery forms part of Egypt’s broader campaign to track and repatriate looted antiquities. Since 2022, the government has expanded its efforts through legal and diplomatic channels. Officials continue to pressure collectors and institutions worldwide to return objects with questionable provenance.
While thousands of items remain missing, Egyptian authorities say they are committed to restoring the nation’s cultural heritage and holding those involved in its illicit trade accountable.
