Elegant tiles, ancient clay pots, and magnificent busts are returning to Turkey. The nation’s cultural treasures, illegally taken abroad, are slowly coming back home. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 7,701 historical artifacts have been brought back since 2020.
Thorough Research and Repatriation Processes
Expert teams have meticulously tracked valuable artifacts over the years. They have closely examined museum and art trade websites, auctions, and publications. After initial evaluations of identified artifacts, legal processes for repatriation were promptly initiated. As a result, thousands of historical artifacts have returned to Turkey from various countries, including Hungary, the USA, the UK, and Croatia.
2023: A Fruitful Year
The year 2023 has been particularly productive for artifact repatriation in Turkey. This year alone, 3,059 artifacts, mostly from Bulgaria, were returned to museums. When comparing years, only four artifacts were brought back in 2020 from the UK, Italy, and the USA. In 2021, this number rose to 3,480. In 2022, a total of 1,138 artifacts, primarily from Croatia, returned home. As of early 2024, another 20 artifacts have been repatriated to Turkey.
Hope for the Future
These developments represent a hopeful step toward preserving and promoting Turkey’s rich cultural heritage. The acceleration of artifact repatriation offers a significant opportunity to pass this historical legacy on to future generations. What are your thoughts on this? What more can be done to protect cultural heritage?
Source: NTV
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