It's not very surprising that Egypt's autocratic rulers have used the country's ancient treasures as diplomatic tools. It is actually rather hypocritical for a nation's leadership to demand the return of artifacts captured by imperial powers while the leaders give away statues and museum pieces to foreign dignitaries. I was surprised, however, to read that while Nasser and Sadat sent gifts away with diplomats and politicians, there is no evidence that Hosni Mubarak followed suit.
Since I've been on a Zahi Hawass kick in my past posts I wonder if this discrepancy has to do with Hawass' de facto management of Egyptian antiquities. Hawass was dedicated to retrieving Egypt's most symbolic relics from abroad, most notably the bust of Nefertiti in Germany. Since Hawass has recently be tried because of his close personal connections to Mubarak, perhaps he was able to exert some restraint over the former president. I am hopeful that this process does not continue under the new government.
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