Egypt says thousands of its artefacts in British Museum are 'part of London's identity' - but wants the Rosetta Stone back

""They belong to both of them [Britain and Egypt]. Firstly they come from Egypt but then they started to be part of the London identity. "They went out of the country legally during the earliest time Egypt allowed a division of the artefacts that came out of excavations and they are the best ambassadors of Egypt to attract a lot of audiences to come and visit Egypt.""

"Its opening last month renewed calls for native treasures, such as the Rosetta Stone, to be returned to their homeland. The British Museum catalogue alone lists nearly 50,000 objects from ancient Egypt including mummies, wall paintings from tomb chapels and statues. The Rosetta Stone is one of the museum's most visited objects. Bilingual carvings on the relic proved to be the breakthrough in the decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics after being unearthed by colonialists in Egypt in 1799."

Thousands of Egyptian artefacts are legally held in British museums and have become part of London's cultural identity, having been removed under early excavation division rules. Egyptian authorities acknowledge many items act as ambassadors that attract visitors to Egypt but maintain a specific claim for the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone enabled the decipherment of hieroglyphics after its 1799 discovery and remains one of the British Museum's most visited objects. Many Egyptians have never seen the Stone in person, prompting renewed calls for its return amid exhibitions that temporarily display Egyptian-held treasures in the UK.

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