Tales of 12 Relics Far from Home

Let me explain how I got inspired to write about this topic. Last weekend, my wife and I were reminiscing about our trip to Turkey a few years ago. One of the sites we really wanted to visit was Topkapi Palace — a magnificent symbol of the Ottoman Empire’s might and a treasure trove of Muslim art, manuscripts, and relics, including the Prophet Muhammad’s cloak and sword.

We decided to ditch the car and walk around Istanbul. Traveling with my wife by foot is always an adventure; she’s the GPS master, leading us off the beaten path into the wrong direction, which often results in unexpected discoveries. I think she does it on purpose because some of our best memories are from the times we were lost in history-filled cities like Istanbul.

In our long search for Topkapi Palace on foot, we stumbled upon the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, which is nearby, and decided to get immersed in Turkish history. What began as a fascinating journey ended in slight disappointment when I realized the museum houses many extremely notable artifacts from Lebanon, my ethnic origin. Among the artifacts were the Alexander, Lycian, and Tabnit Sarcophagi from the Ayaa Necropolis in Sidon — all treasures from Phoenicia taken by the Ottomans during their 400-year rule over Lebanon. The feeling I had was similar to finding their favorite mug at a friend’s house, having thought it was lost — a recurring feeling that kept creeping up on me during various visits to well-known museums worldwide.

History is rich, but most of it has been lost to time, obliterated by the elements, or by the hands of mankind. However, a select few items from ancient civilizations have withstood the test of time, carrying immense significance and narrating stories of bygone eras. Ironically, many of these artifacts are not displayed in their countries of origin but are often housed in the nations of their conquerors, who took them back as spoils of war or conquest.

Here is a chronologically ordered list I compiled of twelve (12) important artifacts housed in museums away from their native land, each echoing the tales and magnificence of ancient civilizations.

1- Ain Sakhri Lovers — The British Museum, London Origin: Palestine | 9000 BC

The Ain Sakhri Lovers is the oldest known representation of a couple in the throes of passion. This significant artifact sheds invaluable light on societal structures, relationships, and the depiction of intimacy in the Neolithic era. In 1933, René Neuville, a French consul, identified the Ain Sakhri Lovers sculpture at a small museum in Bethlehem, originally found by a Bedouin in the Ain Sakhri caves. Recognizing its significance, Neuville secured it until his death. The British Museum purchased the old relic in 1958 after it surfaced at Sothersby’s.

2- Sumerian Queen’s Lyre — The British Museum, London Origin: Iraq | 26th Century BC

Excavated from the Royal Cemetery at Ur in present-day Iraq in the 1920s, the Sumerian Queen’s Lyre showcases the significance of music in Sumerian society. The golden bull’s head and inlaid shell plaques depict intricate craftsmanship, highlighting Sumerian artistry and cultural richness. The artifact is showcased at the British Museum alongside the extensive collection of other Mesopotamian antiquities discovered in Iraq by British archeologists in the early 20th century.

3- Priam’s Treasure — Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow Origin: Turkey | 23rd — 24th Century BC

Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann at ancient Troy (present-day Hisarlik in Turkey), Priam’s Treasure is an assortment of over 8500 objects, consisting of golden jewelry, silver tableware, and other exquisite artifacts reflecting the affluence of the era. After traversing various countries, it was seized by the Soviet Union post-World War II and now resides in Moscow’s Pushkin Museum, illustrating the richness of ancient civilizations to a myriad of intrigued visitors.

4- Nefertiti Bust — Neues Museum, Berlin Origin: Egypt | 14th Century BC

Discovered in 1912 by a German archaeological team, the Nefertiti Bust is an extremely renowned painted stucco-coated limestone bust of the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti was pivotal in a religious shift to monotheism, worshipping Sun Disk Aten. She is also celebrated for her beauty and is believed to have possibly ruled as Pharoah after her husband’s death under the name of Neferneferuaten. The bust is the most iconic artifact of Nefertiti, and it remains in Germany despite Egypt’s requests for repatriation.

5- Egyptian Obelisks — Various Locations Worldwide Origin: Egypt | 13th Century BC

Originally marking ancient Egyptian temples’ entrances, numerous obelisks now grace cities globally, in Rome, Paris, London, Istanbul, Vatican City, and New York, outnumbering those remaining in Egypt. The Lateran Obelisk in Rome, initially erected at Karnak’s temple of Amun, is the largest standing ancient Egyptian obelisk. Characterized by tapering four-sided shafts and pyramidal tops, they were often symbols of imperial power, transported as spoils of war or gifts.

6- Cyrus Cylinder — The British Museum, London Origin: Persia | 6th Century BC

Unearthed in the ruins of Babylon in modern-day Iraq, the Cyrus Cylinder represents one of the earliest human rights charters and highlights Cyrus the Great’s magnanimity in allowing conquered peoples religious freedom in the Achaemenid Empire. Hormuzd Rassam discovered it during an excavation conducted by the British Museum in 1879, which had obtained authorization from the Ottoman Empire to retain the item.

7- Phoenician Anthropoid Sarcophagi — Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Turkey & Louvre, France Origin: Lebanon | 5th Century BC

Unearthed in the 19th century in Sidon, Lebanon, these sarcophagi showcase the intricate craftsmanship of the Phoenicians. Many of these discovered sarcophagi, notably the Alexander and Tabnit sarcophagi, were transported to Istanbul following the Ottoman Empire’s conquest of Lebanon. Another significant piece, the Eshmunazar II sarcophagus, found its way to the Louvre Museum in Paris during the French occupation of Lebanon. Regrettably, no original Phoenician Anthropoid Sarcophagi are housed in the Lebanon National Museum, their country of origin.

8- Elgin Marbles — The British Museum, London Origin: Greece | 5th Century BC

The Elgin Marbles are classical Greek marble sculptures that once adorned the Parthenon. These masterpieces depict mythological scenes and have sparked debates on cultural heritage and repatriation, as Greece has long sought their return. They were acquired by Lord Elgin — the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and an Ancient Greece enthusiast — in the early 1800s in an effort to save and preserve them given the dilapidated state of the Parthenon. After returning to Britain and facing financial trouble, Lord Elgin decided to sell The Elgin Marbles to the British Government for £35,000, considerably less than the money he spent acquiring them, believing it would ensure their preservation.

9- The Venus of Cyrene — Musei Capitolini, Rome Origin: Libya | 2nd Century BC

Discovered in the ancient Roman city of Cyrene, now Shahhat, Libya, the Venus of Cyrene is a magnificent marble statue representing Aphrodite, or Venus in Roman mythology. Transported to Rome by Italian colonial rulers during the early 20th century, this exquisite piece epitomizes the classical ideals of beauty and symmetry and continues to be a significant symbol of artistic heritage and historical intrigue.

10- Rosetta Stone — The British Museum, London Origin: Egypt | 2nd Century BC

Discovered by a French soldier in 1799 during Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, the Rosetta Stone unlocked the mysteries of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The subsequent British victory saw its transfer to the British Museum in 1802. This trilingual inscription enabled the decoding of hieroglyphs, unveiling a wealth of knowledge about ancient Egyptian civilization and history.

11- Moai Hoa Hakananai’a — The British Museum, London Origin: Easter Island, Chile | 12th Century AD

Taken by the British crew of HMS Topaze in 1868, the Moai Hoa Hakananai’a — which translates to “hidden friend” — stands as a monumental testament to the cultural heritage of Easter Island. This monolithic human figure, carved from compressed volcanic ash, offers invaluable insights into the Polynesian expansion across the Pacific and illuminates the Rapa Nui people’s intricate cultural practices and belief systems. With many interpretations of what they might represent, I found it most interesting that these statues possibly indicated underground freshwater sources. A recent spatial analysis indicates that the Moai tend to line up with ancient wells and coastal freshwater streams.

12- Benin Bronzes — Various Museums Worldwide Origin: Nigeria | 16th — 17th Century AD

These intricate plaques and sculptures depict court life, rituals, and the regal lineage of the Kingdom of Benin, and are dispersed across museums globally, highlighting the dispersion of cultural heritage. Benin City was part of the British Empire from 1897 to 1960 and is now located within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The British forces seized over 3000 Benin Bronzes during the Benin Expedition.

Allow me to end on a slightly poetic note. These artifacts, encased in the protective walls of museums far from their native lands, continue to evoke wonder and intrigue. They serve as the resilient voices of ancient civilizations, whispering tales of glory, knowledge, and artistry. At the same time, they stand as symbols of the cultural richness and heritage of their countries of origin, spreading rich culture worldwide but also embodying the controversies surrounding their displacement. Silently, these artifacts are whispering for the rightful return to the lands that birthed them, seeking reunion with the soil that holds the remnants of their creators.