Stolen Egyptian Artifacts

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Recommended: Chapter 4 world history Egypt

It was 2011 when Cairo’s Tahir Square erupted with a revolution against the government’s leader, President Hosni Mubarak. Fires caused by the friction from the protesters, the police, and the civilians trying to stop the violence, spread the destruction up to the doorstep of the National History Museum. In a desperate attempt to save the museum and it’s artifacts, civilians linked arms and hands to form a human barrier between the protestors and the country’s national treasures. Despite the brave efforts by those who wanted to protect the museum, 50 relics disappeared that night. Unfortunately those were not the first artifacts to be taken out of Egypt; they only add to the growing number.

Egypt has been almost begging for foreign museums to return the artifacts like the Rosetta Stone, the key to deciphering hieroglyphics, since foreign museums began to showcase them. Many of the artifacts being found in the 19th to early 20th century by archaeologists and were sold to museums before Egypt even knew what happened. The Egyptian government and people alike want these historical objects back on their soil, and in their museums. The only problem is, is that the countries that have these artifacts will not give them back because they are afraid the relics are not safe in Egypt. The British Museum in London stated that these early examples of ancient artwork, religion, and writing belong to all mankind, not just Egypt. To understand why some believe the artifacts are not safe, one need to understand Egypt.

Egypt is located north of Sudan, east of Libya, west of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan and the Red Sea and is south of the Mediterranean Sea. Cairo, Egypt’s capital, is located at 30.0500º N, and 31.2333º E. Egypt’s highest point...

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...k to Egypt where they risk being taken, damaged, or disappearing altogether? Or should they stay where they are on safer foreign soil? The artifacts should definitely stay on safer foreign soil because if something happened to them, there would be nothing anyone could do to get them back. But, in order for this issue to be sorted out, the countries of Egypt and Britain need to sort out their differences to preserve our past.

Bibliography

"Ancient Egypt: A Brief History." EnFind. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

Green, Jen. Focus on Egypt. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac Library, 2007. Print.

Halime, Farah. "Revolution Brings Hard Times for Egypt's Treasures." The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

"Officials Debate Ancient Artifacts' Rightful Owners." VOA. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

"TED CASE STUDIES." Case Study. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

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