The Netherlands returned a 3,500-year-old looted ancient sculpture to Egypt on Thursday in a historic cultural repatriation drive.
According to artifact experts, the statue consists of a stone head that was originally part of a block statue, originating from Luxor in southern Egypt and representing a high-ranking official from the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III.
Dutch Culture Minister Gouke Moes, in handing over the artifact to the Egyptian ambassador in a historic cultural step, said: “Our policy is to return what is not ours and to always return it to the rightful cultural group or country.”
Egyptian Ambassador Emad Hanna said: “It means a lot to us when it comes to tourism and economy, because in the end, when tourists come to Egypt to see these things, it certainly makes a difference”.
According to Reuters, the Egyptian artifact turned up at a Dutch art fair in 2022 and was later seized.
It is widely believed and supported by a 2025 study that the statue was unlawfully looted during the chaos of the Arab Spring in 2011. It later appeared on the international art market.
The holder Sycomore Ancient Art voluntarily surrendered the artifact to authorities due to the unexplained origin of the sculpture and subsequent investigation.
