Greece Returns Six Ancient Egyptian Artefacts Under UNESCO Convention

Six ancient Egyptian artefacts have been returned from Greece to Egypt under the 1970 UNESCO Convention, following cooperation between the two countries on the protection of cultural heritage and efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of antiquities.

The handover took place at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, where Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni presented the artefacts to Egypt's ambassador to Greece, Omar Amer Youssef.

According to Greek authorities, the objects were handed to the National Archaeological Museum by a private citizen in 2018 after being found in the Peristeri area of Athens, wrapped separately inside a paper bag. The artefacts were subsequently registered, examined by archaeologists and conservators, and became the subject of an official investigation.

One of the objects bears the inscription "Arab el Madfuna" on its reverse, the Arabic name for the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos, helping establish its provenance. Following documentation provided by Egyptian authorities and a prosecutorial review that found no criminal offence under Greek law, Greece authorised the artefacts' return in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention.