A day after attending the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the leader of the Netherlands said an ancient statue discovered at an art fair would be returned.
Cairo — The prime minister of the Netherlands announced Sunday that the European nation will soon return a 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt , a day after he attended the lavish opening ceremony of the Grand Egypt ian Museum in Giza.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof said in a statement that, during a meeting on Sunday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, he informed his counterpart that the Netherlands would return a bust of a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III.The piece was discovered up for sale at an art fair in 2022 and was confiscated after Dutch authorities received an anonymous tip about its illegal origin, according to a statement from the Dutch government.The statement said the art show 'trader voluntarily renounced the sculpture' and that Dutch police and other officials 'have investigated the origin of the head and found that the head was obtained by looting and was unlawfully exported.'The bust is expected to be handed over to the Egyptian ambassador to the Netherlands by the end of this year, the statement said.It will be the first artifact returned to Egypt since the GEM's grand opening event. Several campaigns before the opening have sought to bring looted Egyptian antiquities back to the country.Egypt's government hosted dozens of foreign leaders and dignitaries on Saturday for the official opening ceremony of the new facility, a $1 billion project that was decades in the making. 'It is a great day for Egypt and for humanity. This is Egypt's gift to the world. It's a dream come true, after all these years, the GEM is finally and officially open,' Nevine El-Aref, media adviser to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, told CBS News on Saturday.The GEM is one of the largest museums in the world, and the largest dedicated to a single civilization: ancient Egypt. Its subject matter spans some 7,000 years, from prehistory to the end of the Greek and Roman eras around 400 A.D.Egyptian officials hope the new museum will boost the country's tourism industry, and with it, the still-struggling economy. They have predicted that the GEM will attract some 5 million visitors per year.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A living history: San Antonio opens a brand-new archives museumThe new San Antonio Municipal Archives Museum features preserved documents, relics dating back three centuries and gifts from sister cities.
Read more »
University of Rochester Museum to Offer Free Admission with Transformational GiftThe University of Rochester received a $3 million gift from Abby and Doug Bennett and the Sands Family Foundation to establish the Free for All Endowment, aiming for free museum admission upon reaching a fundraising milestone. Other news includes a police investigation, a veteran remembered, the grand opening of Boscov's, and a true crime report about a missing baby.
Read more »
Louvre Museum Heist: Two More Suspects Charged, Investigation ContinuesParis prosecutor charges a 37-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman in connection with the Louvre Museum crown jewels heist. The investigation continues with prior charges and ongoing leads.
Read more »
With pharaoh-fanfare, Egypt unveils a huge new museum dedicated to its ancient civilizationEgypt is inaugurating the Grand Egyptian Museum, the world's largest museum dedicated to its ancient civilization and an effort aimed at boosting the country's tourism industry and troubled economy.
Read more »
Egypt unveils a huge new museum dedicated to its ancient civilizationIn an extravaganza of pharaonic imagery with a drone light show depicting ancient gods and pyramids in the sky, Egypt on Saturday inaugurated its long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum.
Read more »
Egypt’s Grand Museum fully opens in gala ceremony after 2-decade buildThe $1 billion project faced repeated setbacks.
Read more »