Lebanon returns 37 stolen Pharaonic treasures to Egypt

Six years after border agents intercepted an illicit shipment at the Port of Beirut, 37 ancient Egyptian artifacts are finally heading home.

In a ceremony at the National Museum of Beirut, Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salamé formally restored the stolen relics to Egypt’s outgoing ambassador Alaa Moussa—framing the historic handover as both a victory against international antiquities trafficking and an extraordinary farewell gift.

The recovered haul offers a vivid cross-section of ancient craftsmanship: two vividly painted wooden sarcophagi, intricate funerary masks, Coptic textiles, glass amulets, and sculpted figurines.

Their journey back to the Nile Valley caps a meticulous, multi-year investigation involving Interpol, Lebanese financial prosecutors, and Egyptian heritage experts to verify the collection’s authenticity.

Speaking at the ceremony, Salamé highlighted Lebanon’s commitment to the 1970 UNESCO convention against cultural looting, taking personal pride in delivering the artifacts just as Ambassador Moussa concludes his diplomatic post in Beirut.

Destined for display in Cairo’s landmark museum spaces, the return of these 37 treasures stands as a testament to cross-border cooperation in protecting world history from the black market.

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