Egypt demands return of ancient mummy over Scots disputes

(Bloomberg) — Egypt said it has requested the return of the 4,000-year-old mummified remains of a priest whose removal from a Glasgow museum display over ethical concerns sparked debate in Scotland.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Scotland’s largest city pulled Nechht’s corpse from public view in late October due to a lack of “consent from the deceased” or his descendants, according to local media reports.

“We are currently communicating and taking measures” necessary for Nekhta’s possible return, Egypt’s tourism minister, Sherif Fathy, told Bloomberg by phone. “We will see how things develop, because such problems are not simple.”

Egypt, where pharaonic-era pyramids, temples and tombs are a major draw for foreign tourists, has long sought the legal return of ancient artifacts that have been taken abroad in recent centuries. The North African nation last year inaugurated the high-tech, $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum, which now houses some of its most famous treasures.

The Kelvingrove Museum’s operators, Glasgow Life, previously said they had received an Egyptian request to return Nekhta’s remains, without specifying who had done so.

The charity’s decision to remove the mummy from display in Scotland follows a recent change to the International Council of Museums’ code of ethics, which insists on respecting the “natural dignity” of human remains.

Glasgow’s nearby Hunterian Museum decided to cover the more than 2,500-year-old body of Lady Shep-En-Hor in a specially designed textile, 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.

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