A fragment of a 3,300 year-old pillar of Karnak temple in Luxor has been returned to Egypt after years outside the country.
The fragment was handed over to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities yesterday. According to Ali Ahmed, Chairman of Egypt’s Restored Artefacts Department, the 36-cm wide and 29-cm long limestone fragment dates back to 14th century BC, to the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Thutmose IV (1401BC – 1391BC), and depicts a relief of the sun god Amun Ra receiving offerings from the pharaoh.
Mr Ahmed said the pillar fragment was smuggled outside Egypt at a date that is not yet known, but was registered on the Ministry of Antiquities’ archive. It ended up in London in the possession of a Briton who never guessed it was an original piece. Once he discovered that he contacted the Egyptian Embassy in London and expressed his wish to return the ancient fragment. All the necessary paper work was done and the fragment was officially handed over to Egypt yesterday.
Watani International
6 July 2015