Lebanon returns 37 artefacts smuggled out of Egypt six years ago
Lebanon handed over 37 artefacts to Egypt that were seized from the Port of Beirut in 2020 after investigators confirmed the items belonged to Egypt. The objects, which include masks, wooden dolls, Coptic textiles, amulets, statues and two decorated wooden coffins, were formally transferred at a ceremony at the National Museum of Beirut.
Why It Matters
The return underscores cross-border cooperation and Lebanon’s adherence to the 1970 international convention against illicit trafficking of cultural property, reflecting broader efforts by countries and law-enforcement bodies to recover antiquities illegally removed from their countries of origin.
Key Facts
- Number of artefacts returned: 37
- Seizure location and year: Port of Beirut, 2020
- Civilisation of origin: Pharaonic civilisation (ancient Egypt)
- Types of items included: Masks, wooden dolls, Coptic textiles, glass-paste amulets, medium-sized statues, two wooden coffins with colourful designs
- Lebanese official who handed items over: Culture Minister Ghassan Salame},{
Lebanon returned 37 antiquities to Egypt during a handover ceremony at the National Museum of Beirut. Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame presented the objects to Egypt’s ambassador to Lebanon, Alaa Moussa, after authorities concluded the items belonged to Egypt.
The artefacts had been seized at the Port of Beirut in 2020. Lebanese officials said they worked with INTERPOL, Egyptian authorities and the country’s top public prosecutor over several years to verify the ownership and authenticity of the items before proceeding with the transfer.
The recovered collection includes masks, wooden dolls, fragments of Coptic textiles, amulets fashioned from glass paste, several medium-sized statues and two wooden coffins decorated with colourful designs. Laura Salloum, from Lebanon’s Directorate General of Antiquities, said the objects had been bought by a Lebanese national who lacked official documentation proving their source.
Lebanon’s culture minister framed the return as compliance with the 1970 international convention aimed at preventing illicit trafficking in cultural property. The handover follows other recent repatriations of Egyptian antiquities, including 48 items returned from the United States last month and an ancient golden mummy mask recovered in Switzerland with local authorities’ help.
Keep Reading
Republican US senator slams Trump vaccine policy amid rising measles deaths
Al-Mughayyir: A village under siege
Efforts underway for Zelenskyy-Trump meeting at UN next week
