464 historical artifacts seized by police in Fayoum

CAIRO – 9 November 2017: The Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Police managed to seize 464 artifacts from illegal antiquities merchants in Fayoum.

According to police reports, two certain cars visited Fayoum city regularly and sold a number of antiquities with the aim to smuggle them abroad.

The police found 266 Ushabtis made from rare blue ceramic, eight wooden faces for a person, 12 statues made from blue ceramic, pottery statues, three pottery pots, 66 fragments from ancient coffins decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions and a number of plates used in mummifications.

A further 122 Ushabtis were found with the criminals, yet the statement has not clarified the materials they were made of.


Seized Antiquities [Photo Courtesy: Ministry Press]

Most of the seized artifacts date back to the Ancient Egyptian era.

Fayoum Antiquities checked the seized artifacts and verified their historical importance; confirming that the seized artifacts are antiquities.

Recently, the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Police

managed to thwart artifacts

thefts and smuggles in different regions in Egypt such as Assuit.