Belgium returns 2,500-year-old sarcophagus to Egypt

Following a long and complex legal procedure, two artefacts including a wooden sarcophagus found in Brussels a decade ago have been returned to Egypt.

The elaborately carved coffin is about 2,500 years old, the capital’s public prosecutor’s office said.

In 2015, the Brussels Capital-Ixelles police zone seized two archaeological artefacts after a signal by international police and crime control organisation Interpol.

Now, 10 years later, the items have been handed over to the Egyptian ambassador to Belgium.

“It is an act of justice to return heritage that has been taken from the country of origin,” said Brussels public prosecutor Julien Moinil.

The most striking piece is the sarcophagus that dates back to the Ptolemaic period, between the fourth and third centuries BC.

The deceased probably belonged to the Egyptian upper class. This is clear, for example, by the pieces of coloured glass in the eyes, the gold-coloured elements and the fine carvings.

Because of his rank, the Brussels public prosecutor’s office decided that the handover of the items must take place in the Cinquantenaire park cloister, “out of respect and dignity”. In addition to the sarcophagus, a wooden beard was also transferred.

During the judicial investigation, the pieces were stored in the Egyptology department of the Royal Museums of Art and History in the Cinquantenaire park, to keep them in an optimal condition.