An Egyptian archaeologist has requested that Berlin return the statuette of Nefertiti

Zahi Hawass, a distinguished Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister, has initiated a petition to request the return of the pharaonic sculpture of Queen Nefertiti from the Neues Museum in Berlin to Egypt.

In 1912, a German archaeological mission discovered Nefertiti’s renowned painted limestone sculpture at Tell el-Amarna, approximately 300 km (185 miles) south of Cairo. The bust was subsequently transported to Berlin the following year.

Nefertiti’s spouse, the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten, ruled Amarna for a brief period until approximately 1335 B.C.

Akhenaten, also known as the “heretic king,” was infamous for his advocacy of the worship of the deity Aten at the expense of Egypt’s other deities. Additionally, his reign resulted in a significant transformation of Egyptian art.

Hawass, in his petition that was launched on Saturday, requested the return of the bust, alleging that it was unlawfully removed from Egypt following its discovery.

“We announce today that Egypt – this is the national committee, it is not a government committee – asks for the return of the bust of Nefertiti,” according to Hawass.

“What I need from everyone here is to go to my website… hawasszahi.com, and you will sign, one signature, to show that you would love for this bust to come back.”

Hawass stated that he is not advocating for the return of artifacts that were legally removed from Egypt. The bust of Nefertiti, the Rosetta Stone, and the Dendera Zodiac are the “three main beautiful objects” that his campaign is dedicated to repatriating.

No comment was immediately forthcoming from officials at Berlin’s Neues Museum.