Khaberni - Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced that his country will return to Egypt the historical statue of the head of King Thutmose III, which is on display in a museum in the Netherlands, in celebration of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
During his meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, after participating in the historic ceremony of the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Dutch Prime Minister pledged that his country will return this unique archaeological piece to Egypt once again.
Today, el-Sisi welcomed Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg, Prime Minister Dick Schoof of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Prime Minister Bart De Wever of the Kingdom of Belgium, expressing his appreciation for their participation in the inauguration ceremonies of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and affirming the strength of the relationships between Egypt and the Benelux countries, which are continually developing.
The Dutch Prime Minister described the Grand Egyptian Museum as "a beautiful landmark for Egypt," for its collection of unique Egyptian artifacts that are thousands of years old, asserting that the opening of this grand museum after years of work is "a historic moment we would like to use to expand cultural exchange between our two countries."
el-Sisi receives prime ministers of the Benelux countries
And the head statue of Thutmose in the Netherlands is a limestone sculpture that dates back to about 3500 years ago, specifically to the era of the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt, specifically the reign of King Thutmose III, who ruled between 1479-1425 BCE.
The statue is distinguished by its precise artistic details that reflect ancient Egyptian skill in sculpture, where the face appears calm and strong, with symbolic elements such as the crown or royal ornaments that symbolize authority and divine protection.
Thutmose III was the sixth king of the Eighteenth Dynasty, he led 17 successful military campaigns and expanded the Egyptian Empire to the farthest boundaries in the Levant and Nubia, and during his reign, arts and architecture flourished, temples such as Karnak were built, and many statues of the king and officials were created, reflecting strength and stability.
The statue was stolen during the turmoil in Egypt after the 2011 revolution when many Egyptian archaeological sites were subjected to organized looting, leading to the smuggling of thousands of archaeological pieces. After the theft, it was illegally exported to Europe and ended up in the Netherlands where it was put up for sale at the "TEFAF" art fair in the city of Maastricht in 2022.
