Egypt received a stone head from the Netherlands on Saturday, dating back to the reign of King Thutmose III, as part of the Egyptian state’s ongoing efforts to recover cultural property that was illegally exported from Egypt.
The official handover ceremony was attended by Egypt’s Ambassador to The Hague, Emad Hanna, the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, and the Spanish Ambassador to Netherlands, representing her government.
This reflects the constructive cooperation between Egypt and Netherlands in combating the illicit trafficking of antiquities and the voluntary return of Egyptian artifacts that were illegally exported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Egyptian Embassy in The Hague, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, oversaw the recovery of the artifact.
An official handover ceremony was held, and close coordination was maintained with the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, as well as other relevant authorities, to ensure the completion of all legal and technical procedures to verify the artifact’s integrity before its return to Egypt.
The move serves as a shining example for the voluntary return of smuggled Egyptian antiquities, reflecting the level of cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands in cultural heritage protection and their commitment to relevant international conventions and agreements.
