Egypt has recovered a rare stone head from the era of King Thutmose III from the Netherlands, following the signing of an official handover protocol in The Hague.
The Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Emad Hanna, and the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, attended the formal ceremony to sign the receipt of the artefact. The event was also attended by the Spanish Ambassador to the Netherlands, representing her government.
The recovery follows a decision by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who informed the Egyptian President of the government’s intent to return the piece in November 2025 during the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by its embassy in The Hague, coordinated with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to secure the return. This process involved technical and legal procedures to verify the artefact’s safety and authenticity after it was determined to have been illegally smuggled out of Egypt.
Egypt expressed its gratitude to the Dutch authorities for their multi-year efforts and to the Spanish National Police for playing a “pivotal role” in the case. According to the Egyptian government, Spanish authorities uncovered the manipulation of ownership documents, which allowed for the legal recovery of the piece.
The Egyptian government stated that the handover serves as a model for the voluntary return of smuggled antiquities and reflects international co-operation in combating the illegal trade of cultural property. The repatriation is part of a broader state policy to prioritise the recovery of Egyptian artefacts taken through illicit means.
