World
Egypt Seeks Return of 4,000‑Year‑Old Mummy Removed from Glasgow Museum
Egypt has asked for the return of the 4,000‑year‑old mummified remains of a priest whose removal from display at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow sparked debate in Scotland. The museum took the corpse of Nekht out of public view in late October because of a lack of “consent from the deceased” or their descendants, according to local media reports. Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy told Bloomberg by phone that Egypt is “currently in the process of communicating and taking the measures” required for Nekht’s possible return, adding that the issue is not straightforward. Egypt has long sought the legal return of ancient artifacts taken abroad in recent centuries. The country opened the high‑tech $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum last year, which now houses many of its most famous treasures. Glasgow Life, the charity that runs Kelvingrove, said it had received an Egyptian request to return Nekht’s remains, though it did not specify who made the request. The museum’s decision to remove the mummy followed a recent change in the ethics code of the International Council of Museums, which urges the “inherent dignity” of human remains to be respected. Nearby Hunterian Museum in Glasgow has covered the more than 2,500‑year‑old body of Lady Shep‑En‑Hor in a specially designed textile while leaving her sarcophagus on view, the BBC reported. Egypt, also known for its Nile cruises and Mediterranean and Red Sea beach resorts, aims to attract a record 20 million tourists this year and 22 million in 2027.