Belgium Returns 2,000-Year-Old Sarcophagus to Egypt After Decade-Long Theft Investigation.

Belgium Returns 2,000-Year-Old Sarcophagus to Egypt After Decade-Long Theft Investigation.

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On July 12, 2025, Belgian authorities handed over a 2,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus to Cairo after it was seized during a criminal investigation a decade ago.

The artifact, which dates back to the Ptolemaic period (4th–3rd centuries BC), had been intercepted in 2015 following a request from Egypt and an Interpol alert.

Thought to have belonged to a high-ranking figure named Pa-di-Hor-pa-khered, the intricately crafted wooden coffin featured hieroglyphs and royal symbolism.

It had been stolen and smuggled into Europe, later housed at Belgium’s Royal Museum of Art and History.

Prosecutors called its return “a true act of justice,” as Egypt celebrates the restoration of a precious piece of its cultural heritage.