Egypt: Theft of a rare archaeological painting from Saqqara raises a crisis.. and its disappearance revealed after 6 years

Preliminary investigations revealed the disappearance of a rare Pharaonic archaeological painting from the Saqqara archaeological area in Giza Governorate, Egypt, just a few days after the theft of an ancient gold bracelet from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir that captured public attention.

Dr. Magdy Shakir, the chief archaeologist at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, confirmed in statements to a media outlet the disappearance of the painting, stating: "There is information about the disappearance of an archaeological painting from one of the tombs in the Saqqara area, specifically from the famous tomb of 'Khentika', which is used as a storage for archaeological pieces."

Shakir added, explaining the details of the archaeological piece: "The painting is made of limestone, measuring approximately 40 by 60 centimeters, and depicts three scenes of daily life during the Old Kingdom period."

An informed source at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed an exciting surprise, explaining that "the painting has been missing or stolen for 6 years, and this was only discovered a few months ago." The source added, according to local websites, "that an investigation is currently underway regarding the matter."

In response to this incident, Dr. Magdy Shakir clarified that "the relevant authorities, including the Supreme Council of Antiquities, are conducting a comprehensive inventory and assessment of the storages to know all the details."

The tomb of "Khentika", located in the Saqqara area south of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, is one of the important tombs dating back to the late Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.