Swiss authorities returned this special Ramses II artwork that had been taken from Egypt

 After over 30 years, a stolen piece of a 3,400-year-old statue of Ramses II was returned to Egypt by Swiss authorities. The relic was handed over to the Egyptian embassy in Bern by the director of the Federal Office of Culture in Switzerland, following its seizure in Geneva during a criminal investigation. Switzerland's law on the international transfer of cultural goods enabled the rightful return of the ancient artifact to its home country. It was stolen from the Temple of Ramses II at Abydos, Egypt, between the late 1980s and early 1990s and passed through different countries before reaching Switzerland. The culture ministry stated that Egypt continues to suffer from the looting and destruction of its archaeological sites, with artifacts from the country being highly sought after.

Cairo Top Tours website offers a variety of Luxor day tours and Egypt Nile River Cruise tours that allow visitors to explore the impressive architectural accomplishments of Ramses II. These Egypt Trips take visitors to see the magnificent temples of Luxor and the fascinating tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The website offers a range of exciting Egypt travel packages, as well as private and guided Egypt day tours for small groups. These tours offer visitors the opportunity to witness firsthand the remarkable achievements of Ramses II and the ancient Egyptian civilization.

The culture ministry informed that the stolen fragment is part of a statue featuring Ramses II and various Egyptian gods. The fragment was then transported across borders and eventually reached Switzerland. The statement from the culture ministry emphasized that Egypt is still facing the issue of widespread looting and destruction of its archaeological treasures, with many collectors seeking to acquire artifacts from the country you can get more information about the history of Egypt by the most notable monarchs to learn about their architectural accomplishments before actually seeing them on one of the many Cairo Day Tours and know more about Ramses II. 

Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ruled for over 60 years during the 3 the century BC. He is famous for his military conquests, extensive construction projects, and having over 100 children. While his elaborately decorated sarcophagus is on display in Paris as part of a traveling exhibition until September, his mummy is still in Egypt. This is because current laws in Egypt prohibit the transportation of royal mummies overseas. 

The restitution of the Ramses II sculpture fragment highlights the joint efforts of Switzerland and Egypt to combat the unlawful trafficking of cultural heritage. This effort was reinforced by a bilateral agreement on the import and return of cultural heritage signed in 2011.