Violent protests in the French capital Paris have led to the closure of the Louvre Museum, bringing renewed attention to the security of Egyptian antiquities housed abroad.
This has also reopened the debate over the repatriation of artifacts that were removed from Egypt through illicit means, while raising questions about the ability of international museums to safeguard their collections during periods of unrest.
Egyptologist and former Antiquities Minister, Zahi Hawass, said that concerns surrounding the safety of the Louvre’s archaeological collection could serve as a fresh impetus for renewed demands to repatriate Egyptian antiquities held abroad.
He emphasized the importance of leveraging these developments to press the case for the recovery of Egypt’s cultural heritage with greater urgency.
Hawass further noted that concerns surrounding the security of antiquities during times of instability raise questions about the guarantees in place to protect Egyptian artifacts currently on display in foreign museums.
These developments present an opportunity to reopen the issue of Egyptian antiquities that were illicitly removed from the country, he said, and to demand their return to their original homeland in accordance with the legal and historical frameworks that govern the restitution process.
According to Hawass, numerous rare artifacts —some acquired by the French during expeditions tasked with discovering Egyptian antiquities, and others gifted to France by Egypt’s Kings— are currently in France’s possession.
These include the golden mask of Nefertiti, a statue of Ramses II, a statue of Akhenaten, and another of Amenhotep.
The Louvre also dedicates separate galleries to Roman-era and Coptic-era Egypt.
Safety of Louvre’s Egyptian artifacts under question
The Zahi Hawass Center for Archaeology and Heritage expressed deep concern regarding the safety of the Egyptian antiquities and artifacts on display at the Louvre.
It urged the relevant French authorities and the museum’s administration to implement the strictest security and precautionary measures to protect these items from any potential damage resulting from protests and civil unrest.
A senior archaeologist at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Magdy Shaker, emphasized that recent developments necessitate verifying the safety of Egyptian artifacts housed at the Louvre Museum.
He called to review security and surveillance procedures within both exhibition halls and storage facilities to ensure the items are protected against any potential risks, while also strengthening coordination between the relevant French entities and the competent Egyptian authorities.
Shaker explained that the Louvre’s Egyptian collection comprises more than 55,000 artifacts—about 6,000 of which are currently on display—spanning a vast period of Egyptian civilization.
The collection includes notable pieces such as the Great Sphinx of Tanis, the statue of the Seated Scribe, the statue of the “Ka,” and the Dendera Zodiac.
He added that addressing the issue of Egyptian antiquities abroad requires distinguishing between the need to protect artifacts currently held in foreign museums and the pursuit of the restitution of items proven—through documentation and evidence—to have been removed illicitly.
Shaker further emphasized the importance of relying on scientific documentation, legal records, and international agreements when determining the appropriate course of action for each individual artifact.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm