The theft of a rare artifact dating back to the Third Intermediate Period, known as the Bracelet of King Amenemope, estimated to be 3,000 years old, from the restoration storeroom of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, has sent shockwaves through archaeological circles. The incident has refocused attention on the challenges facing workers in the antiquities sector, as well as the gaps in securing storerooms and archaeological sites, and the mechanisms to protect heritage from loss or theft.
According to a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, the theft took place on September 9 through a “distraction” method, when a restoration specialist sold the bracelet to a silver trader for 180,000 pounds ($3,600). The bracelet was later transferred to a gold workshop in the goldsmiths’ district, then to a foundry where it was melted down and reshaped into other jewelry.
However, several colleagues of the accused restoration specialist revealed background details of the case, which has sparked widespread debate inside and outside Egypt, highlighting the difficult conditions faced by restorers and employees of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The accused, around 45 years old, is a graduate of the Faculty of Archaeology, holding both a master’s and a PhD degree. She began her work as a restoration specialist nearly 13 years ago through a temporary contract that lasted ten years, during which her salary never exceeded 1,200 pounds ($24) per month. After being granted a permanent position, her salary gradually increased until it reached 6,000 pounds ($120) in July, still below the minimum wage of 7,000 pounds ($140), according to her colleague, restoration specialist Hala Saeed (a pseudonym).
Hala explained that the accused had previously been entrusted with the responsibility of an archaeological storeroom and participated in the restoration of Tutankhamun’s treasures, earning professional respect. Yet she bore heavy personal responsibilities, supporting her only son as well as her ailing mother and brother, with little to no support from the ministry.
She told Zawia3: “We were shocked by the news of her arrest and could not believe the charges against her, despite her confession. She was a polite, hardworking colleague, and perhaps living pressures and debts drove her to this. In any case, the ministry bears responsibility for the deterioration of our conditions. The minister himself publicly admitted he does not know how much we are paid. Since the incident, we have been subjected to harsh searches when entering and leaving, as if we were all suspects.”
Hala added that the low wages have driven many of her colleagues to take on extra jobs, such as ride-hailing services or working in cafés, to meet their needs. She pointed to the recent suicide of a colleague overwhelmed by debts, leaving behind three children. She continued: “We are required to show discipline every day, even though our wages do not cover the bare minimum for living.”
She argued that although the ministry generates large revenues in foreign currency as a self-financing body, it does not guarantee the rights of its employees. The ten years she spent under a temporary contract were not counted in her employment record, despite filing a lawsuit to have them recognized. Meanwhile, the wage restructuring plan, which was supposed to increase salaries by 3,000 pounds ($60), has been stalled for two years.
Hala believes this case should serve as a wake-up call about the dangers of poverty and despair, and how they may drive unlawful acts, calling for urgent reforms within the ministry.
For his part, Mohamed Hassan, an administrative employee at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, shared the same view, describing working conditions in the sector as “unjust.” He criticized the meager wages of archaeologists and administrators despite their efforts in excavations and archaeological sites, along with the lack of fairness in distributing bonuses and incentives. He argued these conditions could drive some to deviance, citing the “golden bracelet theft” incident, and criticized Minister Ahmed Issa Abu Hussein, who comes from a non-archaeological background, for focusing more on tourism than antiquities. Meanwhile, about 28,000 employees suffer from wages too low to cover housing, education, and healthcare costs.
Mohamed noted that deductions for taxes and insurance are taken even from bonuses, reducing their actual value. He added that some employees receive salaries below the minimum wage due to errors in payroll calculations made years ago. Although some employees won court cases to correct this, the rulings have yet to be enforced, forcing many to seek side jobs, such as driving on ride-hailing apps or other marginal work, to survive.
The total number of employees in Egypt’s tourism and antiquities sector is estimated at around three million. While there are no precise figures for those working specifically in antiquities, scattered data suggests that more than 29,000 employees work at the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The process of converting temporary contracts into permanent posts began in 2016, when workers were registered and added to a database. In 2019, 2,544 of them were granted permanent positions.
As for the archaeological storerooms, there are 72 in total: 35 museum storerooms, 20 for excavation missions, and 17 subsidiary storerooms in various governorates. Egypt also has seven archaeological sites listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage main list, in addition to 32 others on the tentative list.
rises Facing Antiquities Sector Employees
Mohsen Adel, an employee at the Ministry of Antiquities, reveals a series of crises facing workers in the sector, relating to health insurance, the absence of a unified financial regulation, disparities in wages and bonuses, as well as what he described as a lack of fairness in the distribution of benefits, with suspicions of financial resources being exploited for the benefit of a limited group of employees. He believes that merging the Ministry of Antiquities with the Ministry of Tourism had negative consequences, most notably diverting antiquities funds and resources into the tourism sector, which harmed antiquities employees in particular.
Adel points out that the health insurance crisis dates back years, with employees suffering from poor medical services provided in state health insurance clinics and the low quality of available medications. He explained that an alternative healthcare system had existed for years but was later abolished without investigation or accountability, despite what he described as suspicions of corruption in this file.
In testimony to Zawia3, Adel recounted an incident that took place on July 24 at the Sharm El-Sheikh Museum, where an administrative employee suffered a serious injury while using electrical tools not part of his official duties, requiring urgent surgery. Yet the hospital refused to admit him under the comprehensive health insurance system applied in Sharm El-Sheikh unless he paid 50,000 pounds ($1,000) or signed a declaration accepting responsibility for the amount. Adel confirmed that the incident was never officially recorded as a workplace injury, nor was any administrative investigation opened.
He also referred to another incident involving the shattering of four wall lamps from a rare antique chandelier during museum preparation work, accusing some officials of covering up the matter. According to his account, the direct supervisor was instead promoted and granted an official position.
Adel stressed that the absence of a unified financial regulation since the establishment of the Antiquities Authority in 1973 has led to significant salary disparities, even among employees of the same rank and appointment year. He cited his own case, noting that he has held the rank of general manager since 2014, yet his monthly salary does not exceed 9,037 pounds ($181). Meanwhile, employees hired more recently than him receive equal or even higher salaries. He attributed this disparity to differing payroll systems across various ministry sectors, which, he argued, creates a widespread sense of inequality.
He added:
“The bonus system is often subject to personal considerations. Undeclared bonuses are granted to certain employees under the label of ‘favoritism,’ which are supposedly reserved for high performers. In addition, exaggerated overtime hours—sometimes recorded as high as ten hours per day—are logged for specific employees in sectors where such work is unnecessary, such as museums with fixed operating hours. This represents potential waste of public funds. Furthermore, overseas missions are often granted to close associates or newly appointed employees at the expense of more senior and competent staff. These files must be opened for review and accountability.”
For his part, Osman Mohamed (a pseudonym), an antiquities inspector working in North Sinai Governorate, highlighted another dimension of the challenges. He noted that the risk allowance he receives does not exceed 20 pounds ($0.40) per month, despite the very real dangers faced by workers at excavation sites, such as encounters with venomous snakes like the saw-scaled viper, scorpion stings, and the risks of falling from high places. He added that employees are formally covered by the comprehensive health insurance system in the governorates where it has been implemented, but bureaucratic complexity forces many to seek treatment at their own expense, especially when they return to their residences outside those governorates.
Commenting on the loss of the ancient bracelet from the Egyptian Museum, Osman said the incident created a state of tension across the sector and led to tightened inspection measures on restorers and inspectors when entering or leaving storerooms and archaeological sites. He told Zawia3:
“Official measures must be activated, such as incident reports and permanent police security when opening any storeroom or handling antiquities. Some sites lack surveillance cameras or tourism police personnel, which is extremely dangerous, especially in facilities the size of the Egyptian Museum that house the world’s most important artifacts.”
He asked: “Why are preventive measures only taken after disasters occur? And why is accountability not enforced before crises unfold?”
Financial Corruption and Legal Violations
Essam Ali Hassan, a senior specialist at the rank of general manager and former director of financial and administrative affairs at the Sharm El-Sheikh Museum, disclosed what he described as grave violations and financial irregularities involving the private insurance fund for antiquities sector employees. The fund has become a source of widespread controversy among staff, amid what he considers a lack of legal procedures and transparency. He pointed to contradictions in budgets, inconsistent figures, and the inclusion of large expenses under the category of “volunteer work.”
Speaking to Zawia3, he said: “The current board of the fund took over from the previous board without receiving official handover documents, in clear violation of the law. Moreover, the annual general assembly required under Law No. 155 of 2024 on Unified Insurance—which mandates that the budget be discussed each March and the fund’s investments disclosed transparently—was never convened.”
Hassan noted that the current board, under pressure from some of its members, uncovered financial violations under the previous board amounting to around 3 million pounds ($60,000). He added that the former chairman of the board, Ragab Eid, is currently serving a prison sentence in connection with that case. Yet Hassan expressed surprise that these violations were not made public for three years, raising suspicions, as he put it, of possible collusion or negligence in taking action.
He warned that proposals are now being floated to increase salary deductions for employees to 40% of their basic wage under the pretext of supporting the fund’s resources. He argued that such an increase unfairly burdens employees without providing them with proper guarantees. He also pointed to what he described as efforts to abolish “Form 134,” a key document that determines an employee’s entitlements upon retirement, under the justification of settling violations. He asserted that this move is being used—as he alleged—to shield a group of employees who fail to pay their contributions regularly, naming specifically Ahmed Obeid, office director of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, though no official comment has been issued regarding these allegations.
Hassan emphasized that attempts to file complaints with oversight bodies have faced inconsistent responses. The Administrative Prosecution Authority stated that the fund is a private entity outside its jurisdiction, instead falling under the Financial Regulatory Authority or the Public Prosecution. Yet complaints filed with those entities have, according to him, produced no tangible measures, remaining under review and delay for more than three years.
He concluded that the insurance fund crisis reflects what he sees as a broader picture of dysfunction within the sector, manifested in the absence of transparency, weak governance, manipulation of financial resources, and lack of effective oversight—factors that increase the burdens on employees instead of providing them with social protection.
Repeated Disappearance of Antiquities
Dr. Magdy Shaker, Chief Archaeologist at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, believes the theft of the golden bracelet should serve as a wake-up call to reassess mechanisms for protecting Egypt’s heritage. He argued that the problem does not lie in a single incident but reflects a chronic dysfunction in the management and security of archaeological sites.
Speaking to Zawia3, Shaker noted that the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities himself admitted to shortcomings in the security system, acknowledging the absence of surveillance cameras in the restoration room and that the handover of antiquities was conducted informally and undocumented, describing it as “based on goodwill and shared bread and salt,” in his words. He added that the Ministry of Interior confirmed its responsibility extends only to securing the external perimeter of the museum, which, he said, reveals a dangerously serious administrative and security flaw.
Shaker stressed that the disappearance of antiquities is not new, citing the case of a bronze statue of Osiris that vanished from the storerooms of the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2012, a loss not discovered until 2019 during inventory checks. It was then revealed that the statue had been replaced with a counterfeit coin, with tampering of receipt documents and database records. This later led to three officials being referred to criminal court in 2024 on charges of embezzlement, forgery, and misappropriation of public funds.
He added that similar incidents occurred at archaeological sites in Zagazig, Saqqara, and Matariya, underscoring that the phenomenon is recurring and requires urgent intervention. He described the reliance of some sites on untrained guards, locally known as ghofr, as a glaring form of negligence, stressing the need for an integrated security system involving tourism police, antiquities inspectors, trained guards, and security officers, with measures implemented before—not after—incidents take place.
Shaker argued that the rise in archaeological discoveries in recent years does not necessarily indicate progress in heritage protection, noting that, in some cases, leaving an artifact buried underground may be safer, especially given the weakness of preservation environments and unprepared sites. He also criticized what he described as the “commercialization of archaeological sites,” where landmarks have been turned into venues for parties and events, stripping them of symbolic and historical value.
He warned that challenges facing Egyptian heritage go beyond security to include human and environmental factors. A major problem, he said, is the lack of public awareness of heritage, with many citizens viewing antiquities as “treasure” rather than heritage. He added that climate change, rising groundwater, and sewage pose real threats to archaeological sites, particularly in the Nile Delta governorates, alongside environmental damage caused by factories located near sites such as the Dendera Temple in Qena Governorate.
On the merger of the Ministries of Tourism and Antiquities, Shaker voiced his opposition, arguing that it weakened the antiquities sector and blurred revenue sources, making it impossible to clearly distinguish between income generated from tourism activities and that from antiquities. He called for separating the two ministries once again and appointing a minister specialized in antiquities with sufficient technical expertise, while also undertaking comprehensive inventory, administrative, and structural reforms in the sector.
Shaker concluded by stressing that his remarks were not personal accusations but an expression of deep concern for the future of Egyptian heritage, urging that the current crisis be seen as an opportunity to restructure the system and safeguard Egypt’s history and civilizational identity.
Estimates suggest that more than one million Egyptian antiquities—smuggled and displayed in around 40 international museums—are held abroad, in addition to thousands of other pieces that left the country illegally. Previous estimates in 2023 valued Egypt’s illegal antiquities market at about $20 billion annually.
In 2017, Dr. Khaled El-Anany, then Minister of Antiquities, revealed during a parliamentary session that around 33,000 antiquities had disappeared from ministry and Supreme Council of Antiquities storerooms. He explained that about 31,000 of them were in the possession of a private citizen in his home, who had attempted to register them after a law was passed allowing individuals to keep antiquities in their homes under ministry supervision, provided they were not sold or transferred.
The former minister indicated that the best solution to combat antiquities theft lies in creating a comprehensive electronic database, announcing at the time that work on such a system had begun. In 2016, the ministry also launched a national campaign to save and restore museum storeroom collections, as part of efforts to protect national heritage and preserve antiquities from damage or encroachment.
Organizing Antiquities Exhibitions Abroad
Osama Karrar, general coordinator of the Popular Front for the Defense of Antiquities, criticized the continued export of rare antiquities to participate in exhibitions abroad, considering this practice a violation of the Antiquities Protection Law, which prohibits the export or transfer of rare artifacts outside the country.
Speaking to Zawia3, he said that the loss of Psusennes’ bracelet should not be treated as an isolated incident or the personal error of one employee, but rather as a direct consequence of external exhibition policies. He stressed that every time preparations are made for an exhibition abroad, problems arise involving the disappearance or damage of artifacts, as happened when a statue of Tutankhamun was broken during an exhibition in the United States.
Karrar noted that while international exhibitions may generate financial revenue, the returns do not compare to the scale of potential losses, citing the estimated value of the missing piece at $10 million. By contrast, he said, the total revenues from exhibitions have never approached such a figure. He argued: “Imprisoning the restorer will not bring back the missing artifact. The issue is about policy and management, not merely individuals.”
He also expressed reservations about the continued assignment of organizing external exhibitions to Dr. Zahi Hawass, despite his holding no official position within the ministry. He asked: “How can someone outside the institution take on responsibilities as significant as organizing exhibitions, when the ministry should be fully accountable for this role?”
Karrar pointed to what he described as clear negligence in securing artifacts, noting that the restoration room of the Egyptian Museum—which houses unique collections—lacks surveillance cameras. He asked:
“If this is the state of the Egyptian Museum, then what about storerooms in the governorates?”
He stressed that any comprehensive inventory would likely reveal widespread irregularities in the security and preservation of collections. He recalled a previous case in which two employees of the Grand Egyptian Museum were sentenced to five years in prison over the disappearance of an artifact, noting that the matter was never announced publicly in order to avoid controversy before the museum’s opening.
Karrar argued that the merger of the Ministries of Tourism and Antiquities had compounded the crisis, as revenues are often credited to the tourism sector even though visitors primarily come for antiquities. He said the merger created blurred responsibilities and called for separating the ministries, restructuring the sector, carrying out a comprehensive inventory, and appointing more competent cadres.
He concluded that continuing the policy of external exhibitions under these conditions poses further risks and losses. He demanded a halt to sending antiquities abroad, compliance with the law, and a reassessment of how this sensitive file is managed.
According to official data, Egypt recovered about 30,000 smuggled antiquities during the past decade up to 2025, through joint efforts between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Tourism and Antiquities, in cooperation with Interpol and several foreign entities concerned with combating antiquities trafficking. These pieces spanned different historical periods and were retrieved from countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
For his part, Dr. Abdel Rahim Rihan, member of the History and Antiquities Committee at the Supreme Council of Culture and head of the Campaign to Defend Egyptian Civilization, described the latest incident at the Egyptian Museum as a new indicator of a persistent crisis of theft and negligence, calling for fundamental solutions that go beyond holding one individual accountable.
He told Zawia3:
“Fair treatment of archaeologists is the beginning of reform. It is unacceptable that wage and benefits disparities continue within the same ministry between antiquities employees and their tourism counterparts.”
He also called for adequate health insurance for employees, recognizing the heavy responsibilities they bear in protecting the nation’s heritage.
Rihan urged a comprehensive inventory of all museum storerooms and archaeological collections, reviewing registry books and photographs, and guarding against attempts to replace original pieces with replicas. He suggested digitizing these records and linking them to local and international databases, in addition to publishing images of artifacts sent abroad to reassure the public and ensure proper documentation.
He proposed forming a high-level scientific committee that includes experts in archaeology, engineering, and geology to draft an “Egyptian Restoration Code” that sets technical standards for the field. He also called for the creation of a dedicated body to handle employee grievances from archaeological sites institutionally.
Meanwhile, the Union Committee of Workers in Antiquities of Lower Egypt and Sinai condemned what it described as the deterioration of conditions within the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, arguing that the theft of the ancient bracelet reflects a structural crisis that cannot be reduced to the act of one individual.
In a statement issued after the incident, the committee stressed that responsibility does not rest solely with the accused employee but with the entire system. It accused the ministry of neglecting employees’ rights and ignoring their repeated demands, creating an environment ripe for collapse.
The committee listed key problems, including low wages, lost financial rights, the absence of a financial regulation since 2020, discrimination in distributing bonuses, the freezing of “complementary pay” since 2017, and the disbursement of only 7 out of 16 financial units at the Supreme Council of Antiquities under regulations favoring certain groups over others.
The committee demanded a comprehensive investigation that goes beyond the latest incident to review the circumstances and systemic causes that contributed to such events. It called for raising employee wages, providing effective security mechanisms for collections and sites, and responding urgently to workers’ demands.
The statement concluded by affirming that Egyptian heritage is “a trust upon everyone’s shoulders,” vowing to continue defending workers’ rights and pressing for reforms to address the dysfunction threatening the future of Egypt’s antiquities.
In conclusion, the theft of King Amenemope’s bracelet exposes a complex crisis that transcends the boundaries of an individual crime, shining a light on the accumulated problems in managing and safeguarding Egypt’s heritage. From low wages and absent incentives to administrative corruption, lapses in protection systems, and the continuation of external exhibitions amid fragile procedures, the dangers facing Egypt’s cultural treasures remain unresolved.
Antiquities experts broadly agree that the solution does not lie in individual punishment or limited accountability, but in comprehensive reform—beginning with separating the antiquities sector from tourism, enacting a fair financial regulation, and implementing a national plan for digitization, security, and inventory, to ensure the preservation of Egyptian heritage for future generations.
The golden bracelet incident is but the latest in a series of crises afflicting the antiquities sector in Egypt. It has revived old questions about the protection system, workplace justice, and sound governance of this sensitive file. Without decisive action to address the root causes, this may not be the last such incident.
