Prominent Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister, Zahi Hawass, has launched a campaign demanding the return of the iconic bust of Queen Nefertiti, who lived in 14th century BC, currently housed at the Neues Museum in Berlin, to its homeland in Egypt.
Hawass, who has long been a vocal advocate for the repatriation of Egyptian artifacts, argued that the bust was removed from Egypt illegally and should be returned to its place of origin. He encouraged people worldwide to visit his website and sign the petition, underscoring the importance of international support in this effort.
In addition to the Nefertiti bust, the petition also seeks the return of two other significant artifacts: the Rosetta Stone, currently in the British Museum, and the Dendera Zodiac, displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Hawass clarified that his campaign targets only artifacts that were taken out of Egypt under questionable circumstances, distinguishing them from those legally exported.
Officials at Berlin’s Neues Museum, where the Nefertiti bust has been displayed since its return to Germany in 1913, have yet to comment on Hawass’s petition. The museum has previously defended its right to retain the bust, arguing that its acquisition was legal under the agreements in place at the time of its discovery.