The Netherlands will return an ancient sculpture that is about 3,500 years old to Egypt. The artifact will be transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened on November 1, 2025 near the pyramids of Giza. This is reported ARTnews.
The sculpture-bust of a high-ranking official from the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479–1425 BC) was discovered in 2022 at an art fair in the Netherlands. Dutch authorities later received an anonymous tip that the work of art had allegedly been stolen from Egypt.
After an investigation, it was discovered that the artifact was of illegal origin, and the seller voluntarily agreed to give it up.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Skof announced that the ancient bust would be handed over to the Egyptian ambassador to the Netherlands by the end of the year. This would be the first time a cultural asset had been returned to Egypt since the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum took almost two decades. Its opening was repeatedly postponed due to various circumstances, including conflicts in the Middle East. Despite this, the museum began operating in test mode in 2024.
The facility is located a kilometer from the Giza pyramids and covers an area of 470 thousand square meters, making it the largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization. Its collection includes more than 50 thousand exhibits, including the 83-ton, 3,200-year-old colossus of Ramses II and the 4,500-year-old boat of Pharaoh Khufu, who is credited with building the pyramids.
In Egypt, the opening of the museum is seen as a strategic investment in the development of cultural tourism. After a decline caused by the events of the 2011 Arab Spring and the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourist flow has begun to recover. In 2024, a record 15.7 million tourists visited the country, and the government plans to double this number by 2032.
