Former Egyptian archaeologist and antiquities minister Zahi Hawass said that he has prepared a document demanding the return of the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, which has received up to 300,000 signatures thus far.
Hawass added in a statement to Al-Ahram newspaper that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is interested in this national campaign to recover antiquities.
Sisi called on the Egyptian people to sign the document so that it can reach one million signatures, he added, and then move on to demand the return of the stone and the bust of Nefertiti.
Antiquities stores were built of mudbrick in the past, Hawass explained, making it easy to enter these stores and steal antiquities.
The Egyptologist added that when he took office, he made sure to build proper stores to preserve antiquities.
The Rosetta Stone is a black basalt slab inscribed with a decree issued by King Ptolemy V in 196 BC. The decree is written in three languages – ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, Demotic script, and Greek.
It was discovered in 1799 by French soldiers during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt. It was later taken to England and has been on display at the British Museum ever since.
