Lebanon returns 37 artefacts smuggled out of Egypt six years ago

The artefacts date back to the pharaonic civilisation, more commonly referred to as ancient Egypt.

Lebanon's Culture Minister Ghassan Salame, right, and Egypt's Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa pose next to illegally smuggled artifacts that date back to the Egyptian pharaonic era [AFP]

Lebanon has returned 37 artefacts to Egypt that were smuggled out of the country six years ago.

A ceremony was held at the National Museum of Beirut in the Lebanese capital on Wednesday to celebrate the handover of the artefacts, which date back to the pharaonic civilisation, more commonly referred to as ancient Egypt.

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“After investigating the identity and ownership of these items, it was determined that they belonged to Egypt,” said Lebanon’s Culture Minister Ghassan Salame as he gave the items to Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa.

“We are setting an example in the strict implementation of the 1970 international convention concerning the prevention of the illicit trafficking of cultural property,” he was quoted as saying by Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The artefacts were seized from the Port of Beirut in 2020. Lebanon spent years working with INTERPOL, Egypt and the country’s top public prosecutor to verify the ownership and authenticity of the items.

The collection consists of masks, wooden dolls, pieces of Coptic textiles, amulets made from glass paste, medium-sized statues and two wooden coffins decorated with colourful designs.

Laura Salloum, an official with Lebanon’s Directorate General of Antiquities, said the artefacts had been purchased by a Lebanese national without official documentation confirming their source.

Such items are regularly stolen from Egypt. Last month, 48 artefacts were returned to Cairo by the FBI Art Crime Team in the United States.

Egypt’s official press office announced on Wednesday that its embassy in the Swiss capital, Bern, had recovered an ancient golden mummy mask with the help of local authorities.

这些文物可以追溯到法老文明时期，也就是人们常说的古埃及时期。

黎巴嫩文化部长加桑·萨拉姆（右）和埃及驻黎巴嫩大使阿拉·穆萨与一些可追溯到埃及法老时代的非法走私文物合影。[法新社]

黎巴嫩已将6年前走私出境的37件文物归还给埃及。

周三，在黎巴嫩首都贝鲁特的国家博物馆举行了一场仪式，庆祝文物的移交。这些文物可以追溯到法老文明时期，也就是人们常说的古埃及。

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黎巴嫩文化部长加桑·萨拉姆在将这些物品交给埃及驻黎巴嫩大使阿拉·穆萨时说：“经过调查，确定这些物品属于埃及。”

据黎巴嫩国家通讯社报道，他表示：“我们正在严格执行1970年《防止非法贩运文化财产国际公约》，树立榜样。”

这些文物于 2020 年在贝鲁特港被查获。黎巴嫩与国际刑警组织、埃及和该国最高检察官合作多年，以核实这些物品的所有权和真实性。

该系列藏品包括面具、木制娃娃、科普特纺织品碎片、玻璃膏制成的护身符、中等大小的雕像和两具饰有彩色图案的木棺。

黎巴嫩文物总局官员劳拉·萨卢姆表示，这些文物是一位黎巴嫩国民购买的，但没有官方文件证实其来源。

这类物品经常从埃及被盗。上个月，美国联邦调查局艺术品犯罪小组向开罗归还了48件文物。

埃及官方新闻办公室周三宣布，埃及驻瑞士首都伯尔尼大使馆在当地政府的帮助下，找回了一副古代黄金木乃伊面具。