A petition has been launched by prominent Egyptian archaeologist and former minister of antiquities Zahi Hawass to bring the pharaonic bust of Queen Nefertiti back to Egypt from the Neues Museum in Berlin.
A German archaeological mission discovered Nefertiti’s renowned painted limestone bust near Tell el-Amarna, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) south of Cairo, in 1912. The following year, they transported it to Berlin.
Pharaoh Akhenaten of the 18th dynasty, the husband of Nefertiti, briefly ruled over Amarna as his capital until approximately 1335 B.C.
Known as the “heretic king,” Akhenaten was infamous for encouraging the worship of Aten at the expense of other Egyptian deities. Egyptian art underwent a dramatic transformation during his rule as well.
Hawass demanded the return of the bust in his Saturday-launched petition, claiming that it had been taken out of Egypt without authorization after its discovery.
“We announce today that Egypt – this is the national committee, it is not a government committee – asks for the return of the bust of Nefertiti,” Hawass stated.
“What I need from everyone here is to go to my website… hawasszahi.com, and you will sign, one signature, to show that you would love for this bust to come back.”
According to Hawass, he is not advocating for the return of artifacts that have been lawfully removed from Egypt. The Dendera Zodiac, the Rosetta Stone, and the bust of Nefertiti are the “three main beautiful objects” that he is attempting to repatriate.
Neues Museum officials in Berlin were not immediately reachable for comment.
