Egypt retrieves Nedjemankh’s golden sarcophagus from USA

CAIRO - 1 October 2019: The Ministry of Antiquities displayed the golden sarcophagus of the Pharaonic priest, Nedjemankh, upon its retrieval from the United States. The golden sarcophagus was illegally smuggled out of the country during the 2011 unrest, and was sold through forged documents to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for $4 million.

The golden sarcophagus of Nedjemankh was displayed in the attendance of Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri and a number of foreign ambassadors and representatives of archaeological missions in Egypt. The Egyptian diplomatic efforts succeeded in recovering the golden sarcophagus of the Pharaonic priest, Nedjemankh, as part of the growing international efforts to combat the black market of antiquities and the exceptional efforts of the Egyptian state to retrieve its stolen artifacts.

The golden sarcophagus is made in the shape of a mummy and is 6 feet (2 meters) long. It is subtly made of wood and metal. The sarcophagus is covered with gold plates, elaborately decorated with hieroglyphic scenes and texts aimed at guiding the priest on his journey to eternal life. According to CNN reports, gold found in the coffin symbolizes the priest's relationship with the Egyptian gods, where it was widely believed that the gods were made of precious metal. “This is not only for Egyptians but also for our common human heritage as we all share the same values and are parts of the same international family,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry said at the repatriation ceremony.