Emperor Marcus Aurelius statue is planned to be given back to Turkey
(MENAFN) A bronze statue of the renowned Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, which was looted from Türkiye in the 1960s, is scheduled to be returned to its country of origin in the coming days.
The statue, dating from approximately AD 50 to 250 and portraying Aurelius as a philosopher, was illegally excavated from the ancient city of Boubon in Burdur, located in southwestern Türkiye, before being smuggled overseas. It is currently kept at a museum in the United States.
After extensive legal and academic efforts, the 1.93-meter (6.3-foot) tall statue, excluding its head, will be flown back to Türkiye via a charter flight arranged by the national airline.
Following its illicit removal, the statue changed owners multiple times. Exporting antiquities from Türkiye—known as a cradle of civilizations for thousands of years—is strictly forbidden by law and carries severe penalties.
In 2023, the US museum contested the seizure, claiming uncertainty over the statue’s provenance. However, Türkiye provided evidence to refute this claim, which led to the decision to return the artifact.
The statue was officially handed over to Türkiye in a ceremony held in April at the US museum but remained there on display in a special exhibition until July.
Marcus Aurelius, known as the philosopher emperor, lived from 121 to 180 AD and ruled the Roman Empire from 161 until his death in 180. He is remembered as the last of the “Five Good Emperors,” an era marked by stability, prosperity, and relatively wise rule. During his reign, the empire reached its greatest territorial extent, spanning from northern Britain to Arabia.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
