37 ancient Egyptian artifacts returned by Lebanon after 6 years

Lebanon has returned 37 ancient Egyptian artifacts that were smuggled out of Egypt and later seized at Beirut's port, concluding years of work to verify their ownership and authenticity.

The objects were formally transferred to Egypt during a ceremony at the National Museum of Beirut on Wednesday, with Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame handing them over to Egypt's Ambassador to Lebanon, Alaa Moussa.

The collection dates back to the pharaonic civilization, the period more commonly associated with ancient Egypt, and includes masks, wooden dolls, pieces of Coptic textiles, glass-paste amulets, medium-sized statues and two decorated wooden coffins.

Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh (R) hands over 37 ancient Egyptian artifacts dating to the Pharaonic era to Egyptian Ambassador to Beirut Alaa Moussa (L) during a ceremony at the National Museum in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 16, 2026. (AA Photo)

Yearslong investigation traces artifacts back to Egypt

Lebanese authorities seized the artifacts at the Port of Beirut in 2020 after they had been brought into the country.

Lebanon then worked with INTERPOL, Egyptian authorities and the country's top public prosecutor over several years to verify both the authenticity of the objects and their country of origin.

Salame said the investigation eventually established that the pieces belonged to Egypt.

"After investigating the identity and ownership of these items, it was determined that they belonged to Egypt," he said during the handover.

Laura Salloum, an official with Lebanon's Directorate General of Antiquities, said a Lebanese national had purchased the artifacts without official documentation establishing their origins.

The Egyptian artifacts, which were smuggled into Lebanon from Egypt, are displayed at the National Museum before the Lebanese government returns 37 ancient Egyptian artifacts dating to the Pharaonic era to Egypt in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 16, 2026. (AA Photo)

Lebanon points to international convention on illicit trafficking

Salame said the return also reflected Lebanon's implementation of the 1970 international convention aimed at preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

"We are setting an example in the strict implementation of the 1970 international convention concerning the prevention of the illicit trafficking of cultural property," he said, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

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The handover comes as Egypt continues to recover antiquities from abroad. Last month, 48 artefacts were returned to Cairo by the FBI Art Crime Team in the United States.

Egypt's official press office also announced on Wednesday that its embassy in Bern had recovered an ancient golden mummy mask with the help of Swiss authorities.

September 17, 2026 10:13 AM GMT+03:00