Egyptian authorities have sent an official request to museums in the Scottish city of Glasgow for the repatriation of the remains of the ancient Egyptian priest Nekht, which are about four thousand years old. The move followed a decision to remove the mummy from public display amid debate over the ethics of exhibiting human remains, infohub.kz reports.
Until recently, the mummy was on display at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. However, Glasgow Life, the charity that runs the city's museums, moved the remains to a storage facility with limited access.
The step was prompted by updated ethical standards from the International Council of Museums. The Scottish gallery's management explained that the display of the remains had been halted because there was no documented consent from the deceased person or his direct descendants.
The decision sparked widespread public debate in Scotland: critics called it absurd and said it undermines the educational role of museums. Amid the ensuing scandal, Egyptian authorities sent the official request for the ancient artifact to be returned to its homeland.
Representatives of Glasgow's museums confirmed they had received the request from Cairo. They noted that the city has a well-established procedure for considering such claims for the return of historical treasures and promised to follow the established rules strictly.