Egypt has issued a fresh call for Britain to hand back the renowned Rosetta Stone.
Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail Khaled claimed the artefact was "illegally taken", but admitted the tens of thousands of legally acquired Egyptian artefacts in the British Museum are now "part of the London identity".
The British Museum has affirmed that the acquirement of the Rosetta Stone was legal as an Ottoman admiral signed Egypt’s 1801 surrender to British forces, while the country was under Ottoman control.
Speaking ahead of the opening of an exhibition, Mr Khaled said he "would love" if Britain handed over the historic stone slab to the Middle Eastern country.
Egypt has issued a fresh call for Britain to hand back the renowned Rosetta Stone
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He said: “Of course we would love it to be returned because Egyptians have never seen it.
“Generations read about it and know about it but they have never seen it.
"There are lots of voices in Egypt thinking we should argue for its return as it is their right.”
Mr Khaled also appeared to backtrack on previous demands from campaigners calling for the return of several other historic relics.
Over 50,000 artefacts from Ancient Egypt are held in the London museum
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According to Mr Khaled, the relics held in British Museums are now the “best ambassadors of Egypt to attract a lot of audiences to come and visit Egypt”.
Over 50,000 artefacts from Ancient Egypt are held in the London museum.
The Rosetta Stone was uncovered by French soldiers in 1799 by a group of French soldiers, who were constructing a fort in the Egyptian city of Rashid.
The 1801 Treaty of Alexandria saw the Rosetta Stone, alongside several other antiquities, handed to British forces after they defeated the French.
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For years, Egypt has periodically demanded the return of the Rosetta Stone.
The issue flared up again in 2022 after an Egyptian ex-minister and a leading Egyptologist launched popular petitions challenging Britain’s ownership of the relic.
Egyptologist Monica Hanna, a vocal campaigner for returning artefacts, was behind the second petition.
It read: “The British Museum’s holding of the stone is a symbol of Western cultural violence against Egypt.”
The Egyptian government has never made an official request for Britain to return the relic
| GETTYIn 2018, officials from the Grand Egyptian Museum claimed they had been involved in talks for the stone to be repatriated.
However, the Egyptian government has never made an official request for Britain to return the relic.
The Middle Eastern country has increased pressure on other foreign countries to hand over artefacts in recent years.
Recently, the Netherlands agreed to hand over an almost 3,500-year-old stone head which had been crafted during Thutmose III's time as ruler of Egypt.
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