Egyptologist and former Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass called for the return of a bust of Nefertiti from Germany to Egypt, during his lecture in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, organized by the Egyptian Embassy in Brazil. The Nefertiti bust became a cultural symbol of Berlin, and sparked a heated debate between Egypt and Germany over Egypt’s request to return it among smuggled artifacts, according to Youm7. In 1925, the Egyptian government declared a ban on German missions, until the head of the Pharaonic queen was returned to Egypt. During the reign of Adolf Hitler, he rejected any plan to return the bust to Egypt. Hawass argued that the Nefertiti statue was illegally exported from Egypt and should therefore be returned.

Source: Egypt Independent December 19, 2018 14:13 UTC