French lawmakers are debating a new bill aimed at simplifying the return of colonial-era cultural objects to their countries of origin, drawing renewed attention to artefacts still held in France’s national collections, which number in the tens of thousands.
The draft legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate in January and now requires backing from the lower house, the Assemblee Nationale, before it can become a law.
While not all cases are at the same stage, these five objects from Algeria, Egypt and Jordan sit within that broader restitution debate, whether through formal state requests, public campaigns or long-standing calls for their return.
1. Baba Merzoug, Algeria
The 16th-century bronze cannon from the Ottoman era in Algiers is housed at the naval base in the French coastal city of Brest after being taken by French forces in 1830 following the capture of Algiers.
While seized as a spoil of war, the cannon remains a politically charged symbol of French colonial rule in Algeria. The Algerian government formally requested its return in 2012, and the cannon was explicitly cited during the April 2026 parliamentary debate over France’s proposed restitution framework.
2. Emir Abdelkader’s effects, Algeria
Rather than a single object, this refers to personal items associated with the 19th-century Algerian leader Emir Abdelkader, who led the resistance against French invasion before his surrender in 1847.
Held across French collections including at Musee de l Armee in Paris and Musee Conde in Chantilly, the objects include a steel sabre, pistol, ceremonial cloak and related belongings linked to Abdelkader's life and leadership.
Algeria has included these effects on a formal restitution list submitted to French authorities in 2021, and they remain a sensitive part of the wider dispute over colonial-era holdings.
3. Dendera Zodiac, Egypt
The Dendera Zodiac is an ancient bas-relief that formed part of the ceiling of the Temple of Hathor in Upper Egypt and is now held at the Louvre in Paris.
Removed in the early 19th century, it has been part of the Louvre collection since 1822 and has become one of the most recognisable Egyptian antiquities in a French museum.
While there is no verified formal Egyptian state request for its return, the object has been repeatedly cited in public repatriation campaigns, including those led by archaeologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass.
4. Mesha Stele, Jordan
Also known as the Moabite Stone, the Mesha Stele is a 9th-century BC basalt monument from present-day Jordan and is considered one of the most important inscriptions from the ancient Levant.
Discovered in 1868 by the Anglican missionary Frederick Augustus Klein at Dhiban, it was later shattered by the Bani Hamida tribe over an ownership dispute, before the fragments were recovered and reassembled in France.
In June 2014, non-governmental Mesha Centre for Studies and Human Rights delivered an official request for the stele’s return to the French embassy in Amman.
The Jordan Times reported in 2015 that French ambassador Caroline Dumas discussed the request with representatives and said she would convey their public appeal to the French government. No formal response has been reported.
5. The Seated Scribe, Egypt
One of the Louvre’s most famous Egyptian works, the Seated Scribe is a painted limestone sculpture from the Old Kingdom, dating back to circa 2600BC-2350BC. It is famed for its striking realism and remarkably preserved features.
Found at Saqqara in the 19th century by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette, it is among the most celebrated masterpieces of the Louvre’s Department of Egyptian Antiquities.
While the Egyptian government has not included the Seated Scribe on any formal restitution lists, it has appeared in broader public discussion in Egyptian cultural circles around the recovery of major artefacts held abroad.
