Men arrested over attempt to steal 10-tonne statue of Egyptian pharaoh

Videos on the suspects' phones reportedly showed evidence of other illegal excavations

The site of the theft of the statue of Ramses II in Aswan. Source: Al Ahram

Three men in Egypt have been arrested after allegedly trying to steal a 10-tonne statue of the pharaoh Ramses II using a forklift.

Prosecutors said on Tuesday that the suspects snuck into a quarry in the Nile governorate of Aswan and — using "manual digging tools" as well as the forklift — tried to prise the 3-metre statue from its place.

The quarry itself is government property and is subject to Egypt's Antiquities Protection Law.

Other suspects are being investigated in connection with the attempted theft, prosecutors said.

"Upon examining their mobile phones, the Public Prosecution found video clips shared through social networking applications showing other excavation works," the authorities said.

The suspects will be detained for four days pending investigation.

An archaeological discovery in Jirzah, a village south of Cairo, has unearthed a large funerary complex. All photos: Egypt's Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

According to Adel Okasha, an antiquities official, the funerary complex’s floor was made of limestone and decorated with coloured tiles

A number of classical-era mummy portraits dating back to the Roman rule of the country were the find's most exciting items

An archaeological discovery in Jirzah, a village south of Cairo. The discovery includes several Fayum portraits, marking the first time they were seen since the first batch was discovered 115 years ago

A terracotta statue of Isis-Aphrodite was found inside a wooden sarcophagus

A number of papyrus records were also unearthed by the mission

To the south of the complex, the remains of a colonnaded hall were unearthed, inside of which the remains of four fallen pillars were found

It is noteworthy that the village of Jirzah, which was known as the village of Philadelphia in the Greek era, was established in the third century BC as a central village within the agricultural reclamation project implemented by King Ptolemy II at the time

The village was inhabited by Egyptian and Greek citizens

A number of clay vessels and jars were also found

The discovered Fayum images, a type of mummy portrait, are the first to be found since the initial batch was discovered 115 years ago

Several sarcophagi were also discovered

Aswan is home to some of Egypt's most prized archaeological sites. These include the Roman-era Temple of Isis and other areas that have become tourist attractions. More discoveries are made regularly.

Illegal archaeological excavations are not uncommon in Egypt, especially along the Nile where there are many antiquity sites.

In 2021, prominent businessman Hassan Rateb was arrested for funding illegal excavation works and was eventually convicted.