Former Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty on Wednesday said that retrieving Egyptian artifacts from abroad is not in Egypt's favor. As for the theft of antiquities, Damaty said that such crimes have existed since the phraonic era. Some artifacts, though, have been legally exported to other countries during various periods, especially at times when the law allowed the legal purchase of artifacts. The majority of Egyptian artifacts abroad have, in fact, been legally exported before the elaboration of a law on the protection of antiquities in the 20th Century, according to the former minister. The Antiquities Ministry was the only ministry that did not depend on the state general budget, but rather contributed to it, the minister mentioned.

Source: Egypt Independent March 02, 2017 11:38 UTC