Lucius Verus

While efforts to trace and identify cultural artifacts smuggled abroad through illegal excavations and illegal means continue, a total of 7,701 cultural assets have been returned to the country since 2018, in which 2,956 of them returned in 2023.

Within the scope of the works carried out by the Culture and Tourism Ministry's General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums on the return of historical artifacts smuggled from Türkiye in the past, efforts are underway to return the head of the life-size bronze statue of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus from Denmark. The body of the statue has been returned from the U.S.

The Antalya Archaeology Museum opened an exhibition on March 31 displaying a special section of 12 smuggled historical artifacts the U.S. returned to Türkiye following the efforts of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

Nine historic artifacts, including the Perge sarcophagus and the statue of Emperor Verus, that have been returned to Türkiye three months ago from the U.S., receive great interest from visitors at the Antalya Museum. Last year, 166,000 people visited the museum, according to figures.