France returns stolen antiques to Egypt

France has returned five 2,000-year-old antiques to Egypt after they were spotted advertised for sale on the internet. They were stolen during the 2011 uprising against president Hosni Mubarak.

This ancient Egyptian wooden coffin lids, cut in half into suitcase-sized pieces, was seized
by Israeli authorities in a shop in Jerusalem [Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority]

All five pieces are from the era of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt from 305 BCE to 30 BCE.

Three of the archaeological pieces are parts of a glass statue of a person - its head, torso and arm.

The others are made of linen and plaster.

Egyptian officials tracked them to auction houses in the south of France after spotting them on the internet, according to Ali Ahmed, an official at the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry.

A large number of historically important antiques were stolen, damaged or destroyed during the 18-day anti-Mubarak revolt.

Many were illegally exported and have been found abroad, notable in France, Britain and Germany.

At the beginning of the month 90 objects were returned after being found for sale at an auction house in Jerusalem.

Source: RFI [December 04, 2013]