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After being taken abroad illegally many years ago, the statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is finally on its way back to Türkiye on July 18, Friday.
It had been housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States for a long time.
Following determined efforts by the Turkish authorities, the artwork is expected to arrive on Friday. Once returned, it will be presented to the public, allowing art lovers in its homeland to appreciate it once again.
The nearly 1,800-year-old artifact is anticipated to be displayed at the Antalya Archaeological Museum after being featured in several exhibitions.
The statue, which portrays Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in a philosopher’s pose, is known to have been smuggled abroad in the 1960s through illegal excavations at the ancient city of Boubon in Burdur.
Over the years, the piece changed hands multiple times before resurfacing.
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor who ruled from 161 to 180 AD and is often remembered as one of the greatest Stoic philosophers. He is famous for his work “Meditations,” a series of personal writings that reflect his thoughts on duty, virtue, and leadership.
As emperor, Marcus Aurelius was known for his wisdom, sense of justice, and dedication to ruling the Roman Empire during challenging times, including wars and the Antonine Plague. His reign is often considered the last of the “Five Good Emperors,” a period marked by relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire.
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