Türkiye Successfully Repatriates 19 Artefacts
Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced the successful repatriation of 19 artefacts from several countries this year, underscoring a significant effort to protect the nation’s cultural heritage.
Throughout the year, the ministry has managed to bring back artefacts that were illegally removed from Türkiye and transported to six countries, including the US, the UK, and Italy. Among the notable items is a Quran, originally part of the collection of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II, which was repatriated from the UK. Signed at the start of the 16th century by Mustafa Dede, one of the most renowned Turkish calligraphers of the time, the Quran was illicitly taken out of Türkiye through extortion and put up for sale in 2017.
In the largest single return, Italy sent back 11 terracotta pieces following an inquiry by the Florence Prosecutor’s Office and a report from the Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilisations. Other significant returns include a bronze emperor statue from between the late second and early third centuries AD, a Roman period terracotta vase from Germany, and two bronze coins from the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justin I (518-527 AD) repatriated from France.
Since 2002, Türkiye has successfully repatriated 12,139 artefacts, with 7,823 of these returns occurring after 2018. Ankara remains actively engaged in identifying and retrieving artefacts that were illegally taken out of the country, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to preserving its cultural heritage.
