Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptian archaeologist, is calling for the repatriation of Queen Nefertiti’s famous bust from the Neues Museum in Berlin. The iconic limestone bust was discovered in 1912 at Tell el-Amarna and has been in Berlin since 1913. Amarna was the capital of Nefertiti’s husband, Pharaoh Akhenaten, known for his radical religious reforms.
Hawass launched a petition requesting the return of the Nefertiti bust, citing its illegal removal from Egypt. He emphasized the significance of the bust, along with the Rosetta Stone and the Dendera Zodiac, as essential artifacts to be repatriated. Hawass urged supporters to sign the petition on his website, hawasszahi.com, to demonstrate their desire for the return of these treasures.