Statue of Aphrodite, 1,752 artifacts seized at Nuweiba Seaport

CAIRO – 23 October 2022: Within the framework of the Egyptian state’s efforts to combat illegal trafficking in cultural property, the Archaeological Unit in Nuweiba Seaport, in cooperation with the port's Security Police and the port’s Customs Administration, succeeded in seizing and stopping an attempt to smuggle a statue of the goddess Aphrodite and 1,752 antique coins.

Part of the confiscated items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the confiscated items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the confiscated items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the confiscated items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mustafa Waziri explained that this seizure came after the Archaeological Unit in Nuweiba Seaport received a report from the port's Security Police on suspicion of the archeology of some of the artifacts that were seized inside a large cargo vehicle designated for transporting fruits while passing through Nuweiba Seaport.

Immediately, a specialized archaeological committee was formed, headed by Director General of the Maritime Archaeological Ports Mohammed Etman to inspect and examine the seizures.

For his part, Head of the Central Administration of Archaeological Ports and Units at the Supreme Council of Antiquities Hamdi Hammam stated that after examination and inspection, the archaeological committee confirmed the antiquity of all the seizures.

Accordingly, the necessary legal measures were taken and the seizures were confiscated in favor of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in accordance with the Antiquities Protection Law No. 117 of 1983 and its amendments.

Moreover, Director General of the Maritime Archaeological Ports Mohammed Etman added that the seizures included a bronze statue of the goddess Aphrodite from the Roman era, a number of 1752 artifacts, including 1722 coins of silver, pylon, and bronze from the Ptolemaic era and the era of the emperors Nero, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius which belong to the Alexandria Mint, among many others.