Zahi Hawass Demands Return of Rosetta Stone and Nefertiti Bust at Tutankhamun Exhibition in London
The preview of 'Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh' at the Saatchi Gallery in London has ignited a diplomatic controversy, as archaeologist Zahi Hawass has called for the return of the Rosetta Stone and the Nefertiti Bust, labeling them as stolen items. He is establishing an international committee aimed at restitution, with backing from documentaries produced by the Discovery Channel. This exhibition commemorates the 100th anniversary of Howard Carter's discovery on November 4, 1922, and will visit 10 cities, with London being the third stop following Los Angeles and Paris. Featuring 150 artifacts, the show will fund the Grand Egyptian Museum, where the items will be relocated after the tour concludes in 2022. It will be open until May 3, 2020, with ticket prices set at £24.50 or £28.50 during peak hours.
Key facts
- Zahi Hawass demands return of Rosetta Stone and Nefertiti Bust
- Exhibition 'Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh' at Saatchi Gallery, London
- Exhibition marks 100 years since Howard Carter's discovery on November 4, 1922
- 150 artifacts on display, 60 never before left Egypt
- Exhibition funds Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo
- Curator Tarek El Awady
- Egyptian Mummy Project uses DNA and scanning to find tombs of Nefertiti and Ankhesenamun
- Hawass hopes to announce Tutankhamun's cause of death by end of 2020
- 200 Egyptian archaeologists work with Hawass in Valley of the Kings
- Funding from Discovery Channel and Japanese state television
- Hawass wrote an opera about Tutankhamun with Lino Zimbone and Francesco Santocono
- Exhibition runs until May 3, 2020
- Tickets: £24.50 or £28.50 peak
- Main sponsor: Viking Cruises
Entities
Artists
- Zahi Hawass
- Howard Carter
- Tarek El Awady
- Lino Zimbone
- Francesco Santocono
Institutions
- Saatchi Gallery
- British Museum
- Egyptian Museum of Berlin
- Grand Egyptian Museum
- Discovery Channel
- Egyptian Mummy Project
- Viking Cruises
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Cairo
- Egypt
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Valley of the Kings
- Akhetaton
- Tell el-Amarna
- Memphis