Cairo, Egypt — An Egyptian statue depicting the top of King Ramses II, one in every of Egypt’s most formidable pharaohs, has been efficiently repatriated after being stolen and smuggled in another country over thirty years in the past.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities introduced on Sunday that the artifact, which dates again greater than 3,400 years, has lastly returned to Egypt.
The statue was initially half of a bigger ensemble representing King Ramses II seated alongside numerous Egyptian gods, positioned on the Ramses II temple within the historic metropolis of Abydos.
It vanished from Egypt a long time in the past, solely to resurface in 2013 at a gallery in London. From there, it traveled by way of a number of nations earlier than ending up in Switzerland. Egyptian authorities, in collaboration with Swiss officers, managed to reclaim the traditionally important piece after proving it had been illegally exported.
Upon its return, the statue will endure a collection of restorations and upkeep procedures on the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This effort marks a big victory for Egypt in its ongoing marketing campaign to get well stolen antiquities and protect its wealthy cultural heritage.
The restoration of such artifacts is essential not just for historic preservation but additionally for the examine of Egypt’s illustrious previous, offering insights into the life and reign of one in every of its most celebrated rulers, King Ramses II.
The return of the statue is widely known as a second of nationwide satisfaction and a profitable instance of worldwide cooperation within the combat towards the unlawful antiquities commerce.
https://www.africanexponent.com/ancient-egyptian-statue-of-ramses-ii-returns-home-after-decades/