A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet that disappeared from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was stolen and melted down, as stated by Egypt's interior ministry.
A restoration specialist took the artefact, dating back to King Amenemope's reign around 1,000 BC, from a safe at the museum nine days ago. The thief contacted a silver jeweller, selling the bracelet for $3,735 (£2,750). This jeweller then passed it to a gold foundry worker for $4,025, who melted it down with other jewellery.
Following the arrests of the four involved individuals, confessions were made, and the money was recovered. Legal action is now pending against them.
In response to the theft, the Egyptian tourism and antiquities ministry took swift measures, including notifying police. An image of the bracelet, adorned with spherical lapis lazuli beads, was shared across all Egyptian airports, seaports, and borders to prevent its smuggling out of the country.
The theft was discovered while museum staff prepared to ship dozens of artefacts to Rome for an exhibition. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, houses over 170,000 artefacts, including Amenemope's gilded funerary mask.
This incident comes just weeks before the Grand Egyptian Museum, showcasing King Tutankhamun's treasures, is set to open in Giza, stirring concerns about the protection and preservation of Egypt's cultural treasures.
