PROMINENT Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister, Zahi Hawass, has initiated a campaign to bring back the iconic pharaonic bust of Queen Nefertiti from the Neues Museum in Berlin. The limestone bust, which was uncovered in 1912 at Tell el-Amarna, roughly 300 kilometres south of Cairo, was shipped to Germany the following year, where it has remained ever since.
Tell el-Amarna was the short-lived capital of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Nefertiti’s husband, who ruled during Egypt’s 18th dynasty until around 1335 B.C. Known as the ‘heretic king,’ Akhenaten is remembered for his controversial efforts to promote the exclusive worship of the god Aten and for radically transforming Egyptian art.
Petition for Nefertiti’s return
On Saturday, Hawass launched his petition, arguing that the bust was taken from Egypt illegally. He emphasised that his campaign is not targeting artefacts that were legally acquired but is focused on reclaiming key historical pieces, including the bust of Nefertiti, the Rosetta Stone, and the Dendera Zodiac.
‘We announce today that Egypt—through this national committee, not a government body—demands the return of the bust of Nefertiti,’ Hawass stated during the launch.
He called on supporters to visit his website and add their signatures to the petition. ‘What I need from everyone is to sign and show that you want this bust to return to Egypt,’ he said.
A long-standing controversy
The Nefertiti bust has been a point of contention between Egypt and Germany for decades, with Egypt insisting the artefact was taken under dubious circumstances. Hawass’s campaign is the latest in a series of efforts to reclaim Egyptian antiquities held in museums around the world.
Berlin’s Neues Museum, which houses the bust, has yet to comment on the petition.
Hawass’s efforts are part of a broader movement to return significant artefacts to their countries of origin, sparking renewed debate over the rightful ownership of cultural treasures displayed in museums across the globe.
