Hommam Al Nassim 
Egyptian archaeologist, Zahi Hawass, called for the closure of a British museum that offered ancient Egyptian skulls for sale, and described these actions as “immoral and shameful.”
Hawass’ statements came during a telephone interview on the “Cairo Talk” program, where he stated that these actions reflect the continuation of the colonial mentality that prevailed in past centuries.
He also pointed out that this museum, whose name was not disclosed, offered 18 Egyptian skulls for sale at a public auction, which sparked widespread condemnation and prompted the auction to be stopped.
Hawass touched on the practices of Western museums that display Egyptian antiquities obtained during the French and British colonial periods.
He stressed that many of these antiquities were acquired illegally and are still displayed in museums in America and Europe as a type of borrowed heritage that must be returned to their original countries.
Hawass pointed to the long history of plundering Egyptian antiquities, as pirates were sent in the 16th and 18th centuries by England and France to Luxor, and from there thousands of mummies were smuggled, which were later used in the medical industry and public auctions.
It is noteworthy that the transfer of Pharaonic antiquities from Egypt expanded during the French campaign against Egypt (1798-1801), as the French collected many Pharaonic antiquities, the most prominent of which was the stone that was later known as the “Rosetta Stone,” which helped decipher the hieroglyphic writing.
Muhammad Ali Pasha, the governor of Egypt, also used antiquities as gifts to strengthen foreign relations, especially with European countries. During the British occupation period (1882-1952), the British carried out extensive excavations and transferred many artifacts to British museums, including the British Museum.
Cairo is intensifying its efforts to recover about a million antiquities stolen by smugglers or looted by colonial countries throughout history, and these efforts are met with great challenges.
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