Egypt repatriates ancient 'Green Sarcophagus' from US

Following an investigation and international efforts, Egypt has successfully repatriated the sarcophagus. Ongoing efforts aim to retrieve further items from around the world to Egyptian museums.
Mostafa Waziri, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, uses a magnifying glass to inspect an ancient Egyptian wooden sarcophagus being handed over and which was formerly displayed at Houston Museum of Natural Sciences after having been looted and smuggled years prior, at the foreign ministry headquarters in the capital Cairo on January 2, 2023. Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Mostafa Waziri, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, uses a magnifying glass to inspect an ancient Egyptian wooden sarcophagus which was returned after being looted and smuggled years prior, at the foreign ministry headquarters in the capital Cairo on Jan. 2, 2023.  - AFP via Getty Images
Marita Kassis headshot
Marita Kassis
@MaritaKassis

Egypt has recovered a green wooden sarcophagus lid from the United States this week as part of Cairo's efforts to stop the trafficking of its antiquities.

The return of the artifact was announced at a press conference in Cairo on Monday. Egypt has recovered about 30,000 antiquities over the past decade that were smuggled out of the country illegally, according to AFP.

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