Egypt Recovers an Ancient Artifact from the Era of King Thutmose III from the Netherlands

 

During the official visit of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Egypt to attend the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum and his meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Dutch side reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Egypt’s efforts to recover antiquities illegally removed from the country.

 

As part of this cooperation, the Egyptian Embassy in the Netherlands received a stone head from a statue carved in granodiorite, which had been illegally removed from Egypt.

 

 

 

The official handover ceremony and signing of the delivery document took place between the Egyptian Ambassador in The Hague and the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science. The event was attended by senior Dutch officials and the Spanish Ambassador to the Netherlands, who represented her government, highlighting strong international cooperation and coordination.

 

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said that the recovery of this artifact reflects successful cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands and demonstrates a shared commitment to implementing international agreements that protect cultural heritage and combat the illegal trafficking of antiquities. He stressed Egypt’s continued efforts to recover its stolen artifacts and preserve its cultural heritage, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international partners. In this case, cooperation included the governments of the Netherlands and Spain, especially the Spanish National Police, which played a key role in uncovering falsified ownership documents.

 

Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that this recovery adds to Egypt’s ongoing successes in reclaiming stolen artifacts and reflects the country’s commitment to preserving its cultural identity through international cooperation.

 

Shaaban Abdel Gawad, Director General of the Repatriated Antiquities Department, explained that initial examinations suggest the artifact dates back to the New Kingdom, specifically the reign of King Thutmose III. The piece was illegally removed from Egypt and was discovered in 2022 while being displayed at the TEFAF art fair in Maastricht, Netherlands, where Dutch authorities seized it and took legal action.

 

It is also worth noting that Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof informed President El-Sisi in November 2025 of the Dutch government’s decision to return the stone head, during his participation in the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. The matter received personal attention from President El-Sisi.

 

The Netherlands joined the UNESCO Convention against the illegal import, export, and transfer of ownership of cultural property on July 17, 2009, while Egypt adopted the convention on April 5, 1973. Both countries continue to work closely together under this international legal framework to fight illegal trafficking of cultural property.