Egyptian authorities confirmed Sunday that a 3,000-year-old bracelet once belonging to Pharaoh Amenemope was stolen from Cairo’s famed Egyptian Museum and later melted down to make new gold jewelry, sparking outrage and deep criticism of security failures.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathi said the bracelet disappeared on Sept. 9, while museum staff were preparing artifacts for an exhibition scheduled in Italy. He condemned what he called gross negligence, noting that there were no surveillance cameras in the room where the bracelet vanished.
The ancient piece, crafted of gold and inlaid with lapis lazuli, belonged to Pharaoh Amenemope of Egypt’s 21st dynasty, who ruled around 993–984 B.C. Officials said it was stolen from the museum’s restoration lab, then passed through a network of traders before being melted.
The Interior Ministry announced that four suspects have been arrested, including a restoration specialist at the museum. According to the ministry, the staff member admitted giving the bracelet to an acquaintance who owned a silver shop in Cairo’s Sayeda Zeinab district. The piece was later sold for the equivalent of about $3,800, resold for roughly $4,000, and ultimately delivered to a goldsmith who melted it down to produce other jewelry.
Authorities released surveillance footage showing a shop owner weighing the bracelet before handing cash to one of the suspects. The suspects confessed and proceeds from the sales were seized, officials said.
The case has triggered widespread anger in Egypt, a nation deeply proud of its ancient heritage. Critics blasted lax museum security, noting this was not the first theft of major cultural artifacts. Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Monica Hanna called for suspending overseas exhibitions until stronger safeguards are enforced.
“This theft is an alarm bell for the government,” said Egyptian human rights lawyer Malek Adly, adding that stronger protections are urgently needed for antiquities both on display and in storage.
The scandal evoked memories of earlier thefts, including the 1977 robbery of Vincent van Gogh’s Poppy Flowers from a Cairo museum, valued at $55 million. Although it was recovered, the painting was stolen again in 2010 and has never been found.
The disappearance and destruction of Pharaoh Amenemope’s bracelet underscores Egypt’s continuing struggle with antiquities theft and the enormous loss when artifacts vanish not only from museums but from history itself.