3,000-Year-Old Pharaoh’s Bracelet Stolen, Melted in Egypt

Cairo authorities have confirmed the theft and destruction of a 3,000-year-old bracelet once belonging to Pharaoh Amenemope, a ruler of Egypt’s 21st Dynasty.

The priceless artefact, made of solid gold and inlaid with lapis lazuli beads, was stolen from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square and later melted down in a gold foundry, erasing a unique piece of the country’s cultural heritage.

The Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday that a restoration specialist with access to the museum’s laboratory carried out the theft. Investigators say she sold the bracelet to a silver merchant in the Sayeda Zeinab district of Cairo for 180,000 Egyptian pounds (about $3,700).

The artefact then passed through a workshop owner before ending up with a foundry worker, who melted it down and blended the gold with other metals.

Police arrested all four individuals involved—the restoration specialist, the merchant, the workshop owner, and the foundry worker—recovering the proceeds from the sale.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has since referred the case to the Public Prosecution.

The bracelet, which dated back to around 993–984 BC, was discovered in the royal tomb of Amenemope at Tanis and held not only monetary value but also immense archaeological significance. Its loss has been described by experts as “irreparable,” given that once melted, the artistry and historical evidence it carried cannot be restored.

Authorities have formed a committee to audit all artefacts in the museum’s restoration laboratory, fearing more items may be unaccounted for. Images of the bracelet have been distributed to airports and border crossings to ensure it was not trafficked abroad, though officials now confirm it has been destroyed.

The incident comes as Egypt prepares for the long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum and while several artefacts were being readied for an international exhibition in Rome. For many Egyptians, the theft is both a national embarrassment and a painful reminder of the ongoing chall by enges in safeguarding the country’s vast cultural treasures.