JAKARTA - Egyptian authorities received the return of 17 ancient artifacts from various historical periods from Australia late last month.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Deputy Foreign Minister Nabil Habashi met with Australian Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration and Arts Tony Burke, signing documents related to the return of 17 rare pharaonic artifacts to Egypt.
The ministry did not clarify details about the artifact or how it was brought out of Egypt.
However, Egypt's rich archaeological heritage has been the target of looting and theft in various periods of history, and authorities have sought to recover stolen artifacts.
Habashi welcomed the decision of the Australian Government to hand over the artifacts to Egypt, as reported by Anadolu (10/12).
He said the decision came at an important time, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Australia.
The decision was the "result of follow-up efforts by the Egyptian Embassy in Canberra and the Consulate General in Sydney, in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, regarding a case being handled by an Australian court since 2019," the statement said.
The case ended with a decision by the Australian Supreme Court on September 3, 2025, which ordered the Australian Government to confiscate the 17 artifacts, which were previously in the hands of a private company, and return them to their country of origin.
Minister Tony Burke said these important returns include priceless and irreplaceable artefacts.
English:
"These objects have a very important archaeological, historical and scientific meaning for Egypt," he said, quoting a statement on the website of the ministry he heads.
"The Australian government has a firm view on the return of stolen cultural heritage objects. If theft is committed against Australians, we want the objects to be returned. And if Australia holds objects that we should not hold, we want to help return them," he said.
Egypt is known for its ancient artifacts and is home to the Great Pyramid of Khufu, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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