https://sputnikglobe.com/20250731/museum-or-crime-scene-britain-illegally-holds-egypts-cultural-heritage-1122529157.html
Museum or Crime Scene? Britain Illegally Holds Egypt’s Cultural Heritage
Museum or Crime Scene? Britain Illegally Holds Egypt’s Cultural Heritage
Sputnik International
Many visitors to the British Museum in London have no idea that some of the ancient treasures they admire were looted and stolen.
2025-07-31T18:39+0000
2025-07-31T18:39+0000
2025-07-31T18:39+0000
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"During the period of British colonial rule in Egypt [1882–1956], the largest thefts of ancient Egyptian artifacts in history took place—amounting to a full-scale plundering of the Nile Valley and the tombs of the pharaohs," Zahi Hawas, Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities, tells Sputnik. One of the most famous examples is the Rosetta Stone—the key to deciphering hieroglyphics—taken from Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops. Equally scandalous was the looting of artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb by Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the excavation, according to the expert.Plundering Egyptian Treasures Under the Guise of Science The British Museum dedicates seven entire halls to ancient Egyptian exhibits—from statues and mummies to jewellery and medical papyri. British museums now hold more than 100,000 Egyptian artefacts. All of them were taken illegally, Hawas insists.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230827/chinese-newspaper-calls-on-british-museum-to-return-looted-artifacts-after-theft-scandal-1112935473.html
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the british museum, egyptian artefacts, egyptian national treasures, colonial powers, great britain, france, british colonial rule in egypt, rosetta stone, tutankhamun’s tomb
the british museum, egyptian artefacts, egyptian national treasures, colonial powers, great britain, france, british colonial rule in egypt, rosetta stone, tutankhamun’s tomb
Museum or Crime Scene? Britain Illegally Holds Egypt’s Cultural Heritage
Many visitors to the British Museum in London have no idea that some of the ancient treasures they admire were looted and stolen.
"During the period of British colonial rule in Egypt [1882–1956], the largest thefts of ancient Egyptian artifacts in history took place—amounting to a full-scale plundering of the Nile Valley and the tombs of the pharaohs," Zahi Hawas, Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities, tells Sputnik.
One of the most famous examples is the Rosetta Stone—the key to deciphering hieroglyphics—taken from Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops.
Equally scandalous was the looting of artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb by Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the excavation, according to the expert.
Plundering Egyptian Treasures Under the Guise of Science
English archaeologist Howard Carter gifted part of treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb to Lord Carnarvon and Egyptologist Alan Gardiner, and a Nefertum statue smuggled into the tomb of Ramses II is now in
the museum The Rosetta Stone, found by French soldiers in Rashid in 1799, was handed to Britain—along with other artifacts—under the 1801 Treaty of Alexandria after Napoleon’s defeat.
"None of the colonial powers had any right to dispose of Egypt’s heritage," the pundit stresses.
The
British Museum dedicates seven entire halls to ancient Egyptian exhibits—from statues and mummies to jewellery and medical papyri.
British museums now hold more than 100,000 Egyptian artefacts. All of them were taken illegally, Hawas insists.
"Scholars and public figures are calling for an end to the silence surrounding this massive cultural theft," the expert says.
27 August 2023, 19:15 GMT
