Queen Nefertiti Boils Cairo Blood as Germans Reject Bust Loan
By Abeer Allam
Sept. 11, 2007
(Bloomberg) --
In 1912, Ludwig Borchardt discovered a 3,400-year-old statue of Nefertiti, a queen of ancient Egypt,
among ruins on the eastern bank of the Nile.
The German archaeologist shipped it home to Berlin, where it became the centerpiece of the antiquities collection at the Altes Museum. Now the blue, gold and terracotta bust is the focus of an international tug of war. After Germany refused to lend the statue to Egypt for a three-month exhibition, Egyptian officials said they may demand the statue be returned permanently.
``They were taken out by imperialism,'' says Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo. ``Well, the days of imperialism are over.''
Egypt's complaint echoes those of Italy and Greece, which are seeking to recover antiquities they say were illegally taken by foreign archaeologists. For Egyptians, the dispute is about more than just artifacts. People in Cairo say the German attitude underscores a lack of respect for Egyptian culture.
Nefertiti has become a cause celebre among Egypt's 75 million people, with talk-shows and newspaper columns dedicated to regaining the bust.
``Those people make my blood boil,'' says Ahmed Nabil, a 29- year-old hotel clerk. ``I already have hypertension and they made it worse. Do they think we're a bunch of thieves? They stole her, not us.''
Egypt first requested Nefertiti's return in 1925. Germany agreed to hand it over in 1935 before Adolf Hitler decided it should stay put. It has remained in Germany ever since.
