Ancient Bracelet of Pharaoh Amenemope Destroyed After Theft
CAIRO – An ancient gold bracelet belongingโ to Pharaoh amenemope, stolen from โคthe Egyptian Museum in Cairo, hasโค been melted down and sold โขfor parts after being passed through multiple buyers, โegyptianโ authoritiesโฃ announced Thursday. The bracelet, dating back three millennia, was taken from a display โฃcaseโฃ in the museum’s collection of artifacts โคfromโ the Tanis royal necropolis.
Four suspectsโ have been arrested in connection with the theft, includingโ a restoration specialist at the museum who โconfessed to providing the bracelet to an acquaintance โขoperating a silver shop in Cairo’s Sayyeda Zainab district. The braceletโ was allegedly sold to โขa gold workshop owner forโ approximately $3,800,โค then resold for โaround $4,000 to a worker at another โฃgold workshop, where it was melted down to โcreate newโ jewellery.
Authorities stated that the suspects have confessed to their crimes and the money involved has been seized. Security camera footageโ released by the ministry shows a shop โคowner receiving the bracelet, โคweighing it,โ and completing a transaction with one of the suspects.
A judge has ordered the restoration specialist andโฃ her acquaintance to remain in detention for 15 days pending further investigation. The two remaining suspects were granted release on bail of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($207) each.
The theft has sparked public outcry and criticism of security measures at Egyptianโ museums. Monicaโค Hanna, an archaeologist andโข dean at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, hasโ called for a suspension of overseas exhibits “until better control” is implemented to secure artifacts. Human rights lawyer Malek Adly described the incident as “an alarm โbell,” urging the governmentโข toโ improve โsecurityโ for both exhibited and stored antiquities.
Amenemope ruled Egypt from Tanis during the 21st Dynasty. The Tanis royal necropolis was discovered in 1940 by French archaeologist Pierre Montet and houses approximately 2,500 artifacts, โคincluding golden funerary masks, silver coffins, and โjewels. The collection underwent restoration in 2021 in collaboration with the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The incident echoes past cultural losses, including the 2010 theft of Vincent van Gogh’s “Poppy Flowers” from a โขCairo โmuseum – a paintingโ initially stolen in 1977, recovered, and then stolen again โฃin 2010 and remains missing.