Greece has returned six figurines linked to ancient Egyptian civilisation after they were found in Athens and documented as having been illicitly trafficked from Egypt.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni handed over the objects to Egypt’s ambassador to Greece, Omar Amer Youssef, during a ceremony at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens on Wednesday.
The handover followed co-operation between Greek and Egyptian authorities, with assistance from Interpol and the judiciary, according to Greece’s Ministry of Culture.
The objects were given to the museum in 2018 by a member of the public, who said they had been found by chance in Peristeri, a western suburb of Athens, wrapped separately and placed inside a paper bag.
They were registered by the museum and examined by archaeologists and conservators. Four were found to be ancient artefacts, while two were judged to be forgeries. All six were returned to Egypt as part of the case.
One of the figurines carries the inscription “Arab el Madfuna” on its reverse side, the Arabic name of the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos, which was among the indications linking the objects to Egypt.
The Ministry of Culture said information was sought from Egyptian authorities through Interpol because there were strong indications the objects had been illegally trafficked from Egypt. Police and prosecutorial authorities were also asked to investigate whether any criminal offences had been committed.
Following documentation provided by Egyptian authorities and a decision by the Athens First Instance Prosecutor’s Office, which archived the case after no criminal offence was established under Greek law, the ministry issued an export permit for the objects to be returned to Egypt.
Mendoni said in the ministry statement that the return was “an act of genuine respect” for cultural heritage and part of Greece’s commitment to the 1970 Unesco Convention.
“Greece returns cultural property to where it historically, culturally and morally belongs,” she said.
She added that the co-operation between Greek and Egyptian authorities showed that the protection of cultural heritage could only be achieved through mutual assistance and trust between states.
Ambassador Youssef said in the same statement that the return was “a highly symbolic act” that reaffirmed the level of trust and co-operation between Egypt and Greece.
He thanked the Greek government, the Culture Ministry and all those involved in securing the return of the objects.
“I am confident that today marks yet another important milestone in further strengthening the strategic relationship between Egypt and Greece, for the benefit of both peoples and our shared cultural heritage,” he said.
The return was carried out in line with the 1970 Unesco Convention, which provides an international framework for preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of cultural property.
