Cultural Tragedy: How 3,000-year-old stolen Egyptian Pharaoh artefact was melted into gold bar

A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet belonging to Egyptian Pharaoh King Amenemope has been stolen and destroyed, the country’s Interior Ministry confirmed on Thursday.

The priceless antiquity, dating back to Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period around 1,000 BC, disappeared earlier this month from a safe in a conservation laboratory.

The piece, decorated with lapis lazuli beads, was reported missing on September 9 by the Antiquities and Tourism Ministry.

Initial fears suggested the bracelet may have been smuggled out of the country. Authorities launched a nationwide alert, circulating images of the artefact across airports, seaports, and land borders.
Investigations later revealed that a museum restoration specialist was behind the theft.

The suspect sold the bracelet to a silver trader, who passed it on to a jewellery workshop owner in Cairo. From there, it ended up with a gold smelter, who melted it down along with other items, erasing the historic treasure forever.

The stolen bracelet was valued at about 194,000 Egyptian pounds ($4,000). All suspects have since been arrested, and the proceeds confiscated.

The incident comes just weeks before the scheduled November opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids, a landmark project intended to highlight Egypt’s ancient heritage and boost tourism, a sector vital to the nation’s struggling economy.