When an ancient bronze statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius returned to Turkiye after decades abroad, it was more than a symbolic homecoming. Soil and lead samples provided crucial scientific evidence which convinced the museum, Boz said. We were determined and patient and we won,” said Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, when the statue returned last July. A visitor walks past a painting at Istanbul’s Archaeology Museum, as Turkiye intensifies efforts to identify and recover cultural assets of Turkish origin. Turkiye returned “a key of the Kaaba to Egypt” after realising it had ended up in Turkiye illegally, she said of the cube-shaped stone structure at Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

Source: The Star April 01, 2026 18:32 UTC