Early in the 20th century, as Egyptians wanted their freedom, the conflict over Egypt’s cultural heritage grew more political.
Egyptologist Abdel Gawad claimed that just as Egyptians’ “feeling of ownership” of their past increased, ancient Egypt was taken as a “global civilization” with little connection to the contemporary nation.
“Those who documented the old Egyptian civilization are foreigners, so we should understand that their writing was during the time of colonialism and racism, that’s why there is a kind of so-called whitewashing by creating a historic white narrative.”
Numerous ancient artifacts have left Egypt over the years. Through the partage system of the colonial era, others were lost to European museums.
However, hundreds of thousands more were illegally exported and placed in “private collections around the world,”
Additionally, some records that are essential to academic research were sent to the Griffith Institute for Egyptology at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
“Unfortunately, until today, not only are the stolen antiquities in European museums, but also, the production of knowledge on ancient Egypt is still limited to the Western academia circles,” said Monica Hanna, acting dean of the College of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage in Aswan.
The Rosetta Stone, the bust of queen Nefertiti, and the Dendera Zodiac are three of the famous “stolen” artefacts that the former antiquities minister Hawass is now leading a battle to return.
“I insist that the Rosetta Stone, the bust of queen Nefertiti and the Zodiac which is displayed at the Louvre should be brought back to Egypt. These are unique objects, their home should be in Egypt, not Germany, England, or France.”
Numerous ancient artifacts have left Egypt over the years. Some were presents from the Egyptian government, such as the Luxor Obelisk in Paris and the Temple of Debod in Madrid
