Egypt has announced that 12 of the artifacts, which were stolen during the recent uprising in the country, have been restored to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Authorities said on March 17, 2011, that the relics were found with three suspects who are currently being questioned, Bikyamasr reported.
The items were examined by museum employees who confirmed them to be authentic.
Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities released a list on March 15, 2011, announcing 63 items missing from the Egyptian Museum including ritual statues and a fan belonging to King Tut, Yuya's shabtis, amulets and jewelry.
Looters attacked some ancient sites and museums while Egypt was rocked by unprecedented demonstrations against Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-rule.
Some 70 objects including two mummified skulls from the Late Period were destroyed when protesters set the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), near Cairo's Egyptian Museum, on fire.
The most important missing piece from the Egyptian Museum might be a limestone statue of Akhenaton holding an offering table.
The two-storey Egyptian museum houses tens of thousands of historical objects in its galleries and storerooms, including most of the King Tutankhamen collection.
The head of the Central Administration of Lower and Upper Egypt Antiquities, Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud announced on Thursday that 27 artifacts were also are missing from Tal Al Fareen warehouse in the city of Kafr Al-Sheikh.
He said that the missing items include 20 bronze coins from the Roman and Islamic eras, an item carved with ancient Greek motifs and a statuette bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions.
The warehouse was robbed by 40 armed men a few weeks ago, before the Egyptian Minister for Antiquities Zahi Hawass resigned in protest to lack of security protection at the archaeological sites.
Head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bukova announced that a special UNESCO delegation will visit Egypt next week to check the status of Egyptian archaeological sites.
Bukova also expressed her concern for the country's cultural heritage and called on Egyptian authorities to take concrete measures to protect the archeological sites and museums.
Source: Press TV [March 19, 2011]
Authorities said on March 17, 2011, that the relics were found with three suspects who are currently being questioned, Bikyamasr reported.
The items were examined by museum employees who confirmed them to be authentic.
Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities released a list on March 15, 2011, announcing 63 items missing from the Egyptian Museum including ritual statues and a fan belonging to King Tut, Yuya's shabtis, amulets and jewelry.
Looters attacked some ancient sites and museums while Egypt was rocked by unprecedented demonstrations against Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-rule.
Some 70 objects including two mummified skulls from the Late Period were destroyed when protesters set the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), near Cairo's Egyptian Museum, on fire.
The most important missing piece from the Egyptian Museum might be a limestone statue of Akhenaton holding an offering table.
The two-storey Egyptian museum houses tens of thousands of historical objects in its galleries and storerooms, including most of the King Tutankhamen collection.
The head of the Central Administration of Lower and Upper Egypt Antiquities, Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud announced on Thursday that 27 artifacts were also are missing from Tal Al Fareen warehouse in the city of Kafr Al-Sheikh.
He said that the missing items include 20 bronze coins from the Roman and Islamic eras, an item carved with ancient Greek motifs and a statuette bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions.
The warehouse was robbed by 40 armed men a few weeks ago, before the Egyptian Minister for Antiquities Zahi Hawass resigned in protest to lack of security protection at the archaeological sites.
Head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bukova announced that a special UNESCO delegation will visit Egypt next week to check the status of Egyptian archaeological sites.
Bukova also expressed her concern for the country's cultural heritage and called on Egyptian authorities to take concrete measures to protect the archeological sites and museums.
Source: Press TV [March 19, 2011]