Monday, 25 May 2026
‘Leave Egypt illegally? We’re bringing you back’: Stolen artefacts returned from Belgium
Egypt has welcomed home two precious artifacts, recently recovered from Belgium. Their return is part of a decades-long journey of diplomacy, perseverance, and love for cultural heritage, a journey that has once more underscored Egypt’s unwavering commitment to preserving the story of its people.
The staff and curators of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo received the artifacts: an exquisitely crafted gilded wooden sarcophagus from the Late Period, adorned with detailed funerary motifs, and a rare ancient wooden beard, once part of a Middle Kingdom statue. Both pieces, stolen away years ago, had finally been reclaimed thanks to the concerted efforts of the Ministries of Antiquities, Foreign Affairs, and Emigration, in close cooperation with Belgian authorities.
The story of their return began in 2016, when Belgian authorities seized four Egyptian artifacts exhibited at a gallery without proof of legal ownership. Egypt launched an international campaign to reclaim them, which bore fruit in 2022, with the return of two statues. Now, with the arrival of these latest two relics, a chapter spanning nearly a decade nears a happy conclusion: a testament to Egypt’s resolute fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property.
Behind the scenes, the Egyptian Museum played a vital role. A team of expert archaeologists formally received the treasures from the Foreign Ministry, immediately beginning careful assessment and initial conservation. In the coming weeks, these fragments of ancient Egyptian history will undergo restoration and, ultimately, become part of the museum’s displays, rekindling their place within Egypt’s national narrative for visitors and future generations to marvel at.
Egyptologist Magdy Shaker said that after ten years of hard work, Egypt is sending a clear message to the world, any artifact that leaves Egypt illegally, we are committed to bringing it back.
“This diplomatic mission is a “new form of diplomacy”: one of cultural reclamation, setting international precedent and inspiring countries like China, Iraq, and Syria to follow suit,” he told The Nile Observer.
Over the last decade, he said, Egypt has succeeded in recapturing more than 30,000 artifacts from around the world. Every recovered item speaks not only to the skill of those who shaped it millennia ago, but also to the ingenuity and resolve of those working tirelessly today to protect Egypt’s rich legacy.
“The message is clear for all: Egypt will not waver in defence of its heritage, nor in its determination to hold those responsible for its loss accountable.”