Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty said the ministry has recovered a smuggled ancient Egyptian sunken relief from Britain that dates back to the modern kingdom era.
He said this most recent recovery comes within the ministry’s efforts to retrieve all stolen artifacts in order to protect Egypt’s identity and history.
Ali Ahmed, director of the Recovered Antiquities Department, said that the ministry found out about the relief when a curator from the British Museum asked about the authenticity of the piece, which was immediately reported to Interpol.
Ahmed said the 43 cm × 67 cm relief bears an inscription of King Seti I with the goddess Hathor. It also displays the titles of divinities related to the city of Assiut. “It is of utmost importance because the temple of Seti I in Assiut has not yet been discovered,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
