This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On October 1, 2019, Egypt's National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation unveiled the golden coffin of priest Nedjemankh, which had been stolen in 2011 and returned from New York.
The 1.8-meter fine gilded sarcophagus, dating back to the Ptolemaic period (1st-2nd century BC), was designed for Nedjemankh, a high priest of the ram-headed god Heryshef.
After being smuggled out of Minya in southern Egypt, the sarcophagus made its way to the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and France before being purchased by the Metropolitan Museum in New York for around $3.8 million in 2017.
However, in February, the Met exhibition had to shut down after being informed that the sarcophagus had been plundered by a multi-national trafficking ring.
"I am very happy to have this piece back again in Egypt... We will know all the details about the theft later," said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, at the unveiling.
The return of the golden coffin is seen as a significant step in promoting Egypt's archaeological heritage and reviving its vital tourism sector, which suffered greatly after the 2011 revolution.
