The Egyptian police have uncovered a shocking heist at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where a priceless 3,000-year-old gold bracelet belonging to Pharaoh Amenemope of Egypt’s 21st Dynasty (1070–945 BC) was stolen, sold cheaply, and tragically melted down.
According to the Interior Ministry, the ancient treasure – a gold band decorated with lapis lazuli beads – was reported missing on Saturday during preparations for the upcoming “Treasures of the Pharaohs” exhibition in Rome.
Inside Job Exposed
Investigations revealed that a museum restoration specialist carried out the theft on September 9 while on duty. He allegedly worked with three accomplices, including a silver trader in central Cairo, who connected the sale to a gold dealer.
The bracelet, worth millions historically, was sold for just 180,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,735) before being resold for 194,000 pounds ($4,025) to a foundry worker. Authorities said it was then melted down with other scrap gold, erasing an irreplaceable piece of history.
Arrests and Evidence
The four suspects have been arrested and confessed to the crime. CCTV footage released by the ministry showed a man cutting a bracelet in two after receiving cash, though it remains unclear if it was the exact stolen artifact.
A Painful Loss for History
Experts confirmed that the bracelet was discovered in Tanis, inside the tomb of King Psusennes I, where Amenemope was reburied after looters destroyed his original burial site.
Egypt’s cultural sector has a troubling record of thefts. Notably, Vincent van Gogh’s “Poppy Flowers”, valued at $55 million, was stolen from a Cairo museum in 1977, later recovered, but stolen again in 2010 and still missing.
Following Egypt’s 2011 revolution, looters raided countless archaeological sites, with stolen treasures resurfacing in private collections across the world.
This latest theft is a painful reminder of the threats facing priceless heritage items in a nation celebrated as the cradle of ancient civilization.
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