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Lebanon has returned 37 ancient Egyptian artefacts to Egypt after they were seized at Beirut port several years ago.
Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh said authorities confiscated the antiquities at the port in 2020 after they arrived from another Arab port.
He said an investigation into their identity and ownership established that the artefacts belonged to Egypt.
“Thirty-seven antiquities… were seized from Beirut port in 2020, having arrived from an Arab port,” Salameh said.
“After investigating the identity and ownership of these items, it was determined that they belonged to Egypt,” he added.
The items were formally handed over to Egyptian authorities during a ceremony at the Beirut National Museum on Wednesday, where five of the artefacts were displayed.
The items included masks made from fabric, wood and clay.
Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa said cooperation between countries was important to protect and preserve humanity’s cultural heritage.
Laura Salloum, an official with Lebanon’s Directorate of Antiquities, said the artefacts had been stored together in a single container when they were seized.
She said a Lebanese national had purchased them without official documentation showing their Egyptian origin.
Antiquities smuggling remains a persistent issue in Egypt. According to Egyptian officials, the country has recovered nearly 30,000 archaeological artefacts over the past decade.
