Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty said he is working on returning all artifacts that have been smuggled abroad.
This came on Tuesday in a statement to The Middle East News Agency on the sidelines of his visit to Berlin to receive amulets that were smuggled into Germany.
The minister is also opening an exhibition on Wednesday entitled “The heirs of Abraham on the banks of the Nile” at the Bode Museum in Berlin.
The exhibition displays a collection of Egyptian artifacts related to the three Abrahamic religions, which reflects that Ancient Egypt was a land of peace and tolerance, and refutes the radicalism of certain Muslim, Christian and Jewish groups.
Damaty said the Egyptian Embassy in Paris received 240 smuggled artifacts that it is sending back to Egypt soon, in addition to 230 pieces from New York and 10 pieces from Australia. “They were returned through litigation or diplomatic efforts,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm