Twenty nine illegally removed Greek antiquitiesincluding marble and bronze figurines and gold jewelry, will find their way return to Greeceannounced this week the Ministry of Culture.
Specifically, a rare gold coin from Eid Mar (which commemorates the murder of Julius Caesar), marble and bronze objects, earthenware vessels and a segment of a fresco dating from prehistoric times- Roman were confiscated at an auction. The seized antiques were part of a collection belonging to the New York philanthropist and trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Shelby White.
The objects, which ended up in the United States via illegal trafficking networkswere handed over by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to the Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni during a special ceremony in New York.
“The great successes achieved in recent years by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in the fight against antiquities trafficking have led to the repatriation of hundreds of illegally trafficked antiquities to their countries of origin, including Greece “, Mendoni said, expressing satisfaction with the outcome of the investigation. investigations.
Mendoni added that the investigations had succeeded in “dealing a blow to international criminal networks whose actions alter the cultural identity of people” by converting isolated objects into works of art.
The minister stressed that it was an absolute priority for Greece, “a country which has suffered a heavy blow over the years” from illegal trade and trafficking in cultural goods, to restore its cultural heritageseeking any alliance in this direction.
“Antiquities trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business, with thieves and smugglers profiting from cultural heritage. Greece, recognized as the cradle of Western civilization, is particularly vulnerable to this type of criminal activity,” said the director of the Internal Security Agency. Ivan J. Arvelo during the event.
“These precious works of art dating back to 5,000 BC were an important part of life in the ancient world. It is an honor for us that, together with our partners, we are today repatriating this precious cultural heritage to the Greek people,” he added.
Earlier this month, the The Vatican agreed to return three fragments of sculpture of Parthenon in Greece, hopefully paving the way for other countries and institutions to do the same.
Athens hopes to receive the three fragments which were part of the Vatican Museums Collection for two centuries during a special ceremony in the presence of Vatican envoys.
Follow GTP Titles on Google News to keep up to date with all the latest Greece tourism and travel news.