Egypt has recovered 90 ancient artifacts that were illegally on sale in an auction house in Jerusalem, said Mohamed Ibrahim, Egypt’s Minister of the Antiquities on Saturday.
Ibrahim told the states-owned Al Ahram newspaper that Israel returned the artifacts, which were on display at an auction in Jerusalem.
He said 20 other ancient Egyptian pieces, which were previously spotted in the auction, were missing and Israeli authorities are looking for the buyers.
Many other artifacts from the ancient Egypt civilization were identified in several auction houses in Israel, said Ali Ahmed, head of the retrieved artifacts department.
Al Ahram reported that Israel sent a note to the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs expressing its will to collaborate to collaborate in recovering Egyptian artifacts.
Israel has recently passed a regulation allowing the import of antiquities that are certified to have been legally removed from their country of origin.
