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Egypt Parliament Acts to Confront Online Sale of Antiquities

An artifact that was displayed at foreign auctions. (Dr. Abdul Rahim Rayhan)
An artifact that was displayed at foreign auctions. (Dr. Abdul Rahim Rayhan)
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Egypt Parliament Acts to Confront Online Sale of Antiquities

An artifact that was displayed at foreign auctions. (Dr. Abdul Rahim Rayhan)
An artifact that was displayed at foreign auctions. (Dr. Abdul Rahim Rayhan)

The Egyptian parliament has taken new measures to confront the online sale of antiquities through social networking sites, based on a request submitted by a deputy who called for “decisive steps” to confront this phenomenon.

In his request, MP Hisham Hussein renewed warnings about the spread of websites selling antiquities on the Internet, saying that while some of these accounts offered fake items, others displayed genuine artifacts, including royal tombstones and coins.

Antiquities expert Dr. Abdel Rahim Rayhan, member of the Supreme Council of Culture, History and Antiquities Committee and head of the Campaign to Defend Egyptian Civilization, confirmed that the pieces offered for sale in public auctions or online sites have spread greatly since the January 2011 uprising, as a result of illegal excavation.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said: “Due to the huge amount of antiquities that have been secretly removed from excavations, websites that openly sell antiquities have spread.”

Rayhan stressed the need for an immediate intervention by the security authorities to monitor and track down the suspicious networks, who he said were linked to external gangs run by archaeologists, legal experts and marketing specialists and promote the sale and smuggling of antiquities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior announced the seizure of several artifacts from individuals, as well as the arrest of a number of people selling archeological items through online platforms.

Antiquities Protection Law No. 117 of 1983 and its amendments regulate the work of archaeological excavations above ground, underground, and in Egyptian internal and territorial waters, under the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Rayhan stressed the need to take decisive measures to tighten control over online sales and track down the illegal merchants, including individuals collaborating with foreign networks, and to amend the Antiquities Protection Law to consider the crime of secret excavation as high treason.

UNESCO issued a report in 2020 saying that the antiquities trade is valued at about USD 10 billion every year, while art and antiquities are the third largest black market in the world after drugs and weapons.

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Culture

In East Libya, Archaeologists Fight to Save 'Breathtaking' Ancient Greek Ruins

(FILES) A man holds a preserved artifact from the Cyrene archaeological site near the ancient historical town of Shahat in the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Libya on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Abdullah DOMA / AFP)
(FILES) A man holds a preserved artifact from the Cyrene archaeological site near the ancient historical town of Shahat in the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Libya on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Abdullah DOMA / AFP)
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In East Libya, Archaeologists Fight to Save 'Breathtaking' Ancient Greek Ruins

(FILES) A man holds a preserved artifact from the Cyrene archaeological site near the ancient historical town of Shahat in the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Libya on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Abdullah DOMA / AFP)
(FILES) A man holds a preserved artifact from the Cyrene archaeological site near the ancient historical town of Shahat in the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Libya on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Abdullah DOMA / AFP)

In eastern Libya, a small group of passionate archaeologists are striving to safeguard the ancient ruins of Cyrene and Apollonia -- sites first targeted by militant groups, then ravaged by Storm Daniel.

The UNESCO-listed ruins were once at the heart of a unique network of Greek colonies in North Africa, according to AFP.

"Breathtaking," tour guide Hamdi Al-Kailani said, surveying the imposing Temple of Zeus at Cyrene. The monument, he added, is slightly bigger than the Parthenon in Athens.

While calm reigns there today, Cyrene -- much like other sites across eastern Libya -- was the target of looting by terrorists, including the ISIS group, when the country descended into chaos following the fall of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

With state institutions largely absent, local experts and aficionados had to improvize.

"We were so afraid," recalled Smail Dakhil, who oversees the dilapidated Museum of Cyrene, which houses statues of Apollo and Zeus, and a storage of more than 40,000 rare artifacts salvaged from the ancient city.

"We came up with a plan among colleagues to hide the small statues, gold coins and archives in our homes," he told AFP.

Larger sculptures that could not be moved, including a rare female sphinx, were protected by volunteer archaeologists and residents who "stood watch over the sites around the clock so no thefts were recorded in Cyrene", Dakhil added.

In 631 BC, settlers from the Greek island of Thera, now Santorini, founded Cyrene and four other colonies -- Apollonia, Ptolemais, Arsinoe and Berenice -- along the coast of today's eastern Libya.

At its height, Cyrene had as many as 100,000 inhabitants and developed a rich intellectual life centred on the arts, music and science, with theatres and a renowned school of philosophy.

Earthquakes and wars eventually reduced the cities to ruins, and they were only rediscovered in the 18th century.

Then came Storm Daniel in 2023, with major floods sweeping through Derna, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Cyrene, and killing thousands of people.

"The day after, everyone who loves this site came by," said Anis Hamid Younes, who oversees renovation works along a sacred pathway linking upper Cyrene to the Temple of Apollo.

"We were in shock," he added.

Younes leads a team that has spent months clearing fallen blocks and rubble, salvaging valuable objects and rebuilding a sanctuary and nearly 60 metres (200 feet) of an antique wall.

Despite what he described as "outdated equipment" and "a lack of resources", Younes said he hoped the area would reopen to visitors in September.

Storm Daniel brought destruction and death -- but also new discoveries.

Archaeologists have since unearthed engravings and funerary offerings hidden among thousands of Green and Roman tombs.

- 'Change of attitude' -

Some 20 kilometres away, experts are increasingly concerned about Apollonia, Cyrene's former port, a third of which has already been submerged by the sea over the centuries.

"Before Daniel, we estimated the risk of losing the site at 50 percent," said Talal Al-Hasey, a local official at the Department of Antiquities. "Now it's 80 percent."

"Urgent intervention is needed... Some structures are completely exposed to marine erosion," he added.

Sitting on one of the rock-cut seats of a Greek theatre, Ahmad Essa Abdulkariem, a senior Department of Antiquities official, lamented "the absence of assistance from UNESCO and other international organizations".

He said the department had made "repeated requests" for help with sites listed as endangered since 2016, but in vain.

Charaf Ahmimed, UNESCO's new director for the Maghreb, told AFP he was "not aware" of the requests, noting "UNESCO's desire to return in force" to Libya. He said he planned to visit Cyrene and Apollonia this summer.

Fresh from a trip to Paris, Essa said he dreamt of having a museum of comparable stature to the Louvre in Libya's eastern region of Cyrenaica.

Such space could also help Libya recover hundreds of ancient items now held abroad, including around 250 in Paris and another 200 at the British Museum in London.

Culture

Culinary Arts Commission Documents Saudi Food Heritage Through Global Ark of Taste Initiative

Culinary Arts Commission Documents Saudi Food Heritage Through Global Ark of Taste Initiative
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Culinary Arts Commission Documents Saudi Food Heritage Through Global Ark of Taste Initiative

Culinary Arts Commission Documents Saudi Food Heritage Through Global Ark of Taste Initiative

The Culinary Arts Commission has registered 180 Saudi products representing the Kingdom's 13 administrative regions within the global Ark of Taste initiative, as part of its efforts to document national food heritage, SPA reported.

The Ark of Taste is a global initiative dedicated to documenting food products threatened with disappearing, aiming to highlight local food diversity, support traditional producers, and promote sustainable production methods.

The Kingdom registered approximately 120 products between 2022 and 2024, before adding 60 new items this year, bringing the total to 180, spanning 16 categories including animal breeds, baked goods, dairy products, local coffee, honey, spices, and traditional vinegar.

The commission continues to support the documentation and registration of the Kingdom's food and cultural elements, preserving Saudi culinary heritage for future generations.

Culture

Historic Jeddah Marks 12 Years on UNESCO World Heritage List

Historic Jeddah was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List after meeting three criteria of Outstanding Universal Value - SPA
Historic Jeddah was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List after meeting three criteria of Outstanding Universal Value - SPA
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Historic Jeddah Marks 12 Years on UNESCO World Heritage List

Historic Jeddah was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List after meeting three criteria of Outstanding Universal Value - SPA
Historic Jeddah was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List after meeting three criteria of Outstanding Universal Value - SPA

This June marks the 12th anniversary of Historic Jeddah's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, reflecting the Ministry of Culture's continued efforts to revitalize the area as part of Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment to protecting and preserving cultural heritage and national identity.

Historic Jeddah was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List after meeting three criteria of Outstanding Universal Value.

The site reflects the exchange of human values, building materials, and architectural styles across the Red Sea region. It also highlights its historic role as a center for trade and pilgrimage, enhancing its historical connection to Hajj from both architectural and urban perspectives, SPA reported.

The 12th anniversary of Historic Jeddah's presence on the UNESCO World Heritage List further reinforces its global status as a living heritage site, a distinctive cultural and tourism destination, and a vibrant center for culture, arts, and creativity.