Antiquities Authority recovers an ancient statue from America.
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Tripoli - April 18, 2025 (LANA) - The Antiquities Authority recovered an ancient statue looted from the city of Ptolemais during World War II, which had been on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States, on Thursday. This recovery occurred after intensive negotiations and diplomatic and scientific efforts.
The Antiquities Authority stated that this step came in implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Libya and the United States regarding combating illicit trafficking in cultural property. It explained that the Libyan side provided documents and scientific evidence proving the Libyan state's ownership of the statue, which dates back to the Ptolemaic period (circa the third century BC).
The Authority added that an official agreement was signed in the presence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Libyan Antiquities Authority, Dr. Muhammad Faraj, and the Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Dr. William Griswold, confirming the return of the statue to Libya in preparation for its transfer to its territory.
=Lana=