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| Europe |
| Germany refuses to return bust of Nefertiti |
| 2009-12-23 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] Germany has refused Egypt's request that it return the 3,300-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti, with German officials saying it was acquired legally by the Prussian state nearly a century ago. However, Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of the Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, rejects the German claims, saying the bust was smuggled out of Egypt by a German archaeologist in 1913. He said repeated requests by the Egyptian government since 1930 have been ignored by successive German governments. Hawass says archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt disguised its true value by covering it in a coating of clay. Queen Nefertiti, the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaton, was renowned as one of ancient history's great beauties. In 1346 BC, Akhenaton started to openly worship Aten and began a religious revolution, in which Nefertiti played a prominent role. The bust is the star attraction of the Egyptian collection at the Neues Museum in Berlin. Earlier this month Hawass said he would drop a similar demand for the permanent return of the Rosetta Stone if the British Museum agreed to loan it. The stone is a basalt slab dating back to 196 BC which was key to the modern deciphering of hieroglyphics. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 How about trading it for East Prussia? |
| Posted by: borgboy 2009-12-23 22:41 |
| #1 Earlier this month Hawass said he would drop a similar demand for the permanent return of the Rosetta Stone if the British Museum agreed to loan it. I suspect if this is a "loan" with no return provision. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2009-12-23 12:53 |