After the theft last month of Van Gogh’s famous 'Poppy Flowers' painting- valued at 55 million US dolars from Cairo's Mahmoud Khalil Museum, concerns have arisen about the relative safety of the country's precious artworks and antiquities. Al-Masry Al-Youm hit the streets of the capital to ask: Should the retrieval of Egyptian antiquities be a government priority?

Saad Razaq, lawyer stated "Reclaiming antiquities is a very important step, which should have been taken years ago. Our monuments constitute our heritage, so the government should exert more effort to protect them. I feel sorry when I travel abroad and see how our monuments are appreciated by foreigners, while here in Egypt we don't pay much attention to their historical value."

Mona al-Adly, a secretary said, "I totally support retrieving our stolen antiquities, and even those that were given as gifts. We have the right to restore them to our country. If we gave up some of our treasures in the past, that doesn't mean they do not belong to Egypt. Besides, I don't support the idea of sending our antiquities abroad to be displayed in museums and exhibitions, because this makes them vulnerable to damage or theft. Whoever wants to see our ancient relics should visit Egypt."

Samir Abdel-Mohsen, an advertising company employee commented, "I think Egypt has recently exerted great efforts to retrieve its ancient treasures from abroad. I appreciate Supreme Council for Antiquities Head - Zahi Hawass who has teamed up with many countries to call for Egypt's right to reclaim some of its precious artifacts, like the bust of Queen Nefertiti and the Rosetta Stone. Hawass has proven his efficiency and has already succeeded in some cases. France consented to return one of our ancient artifacts after he threatened to break official ties with the Louvre Museum in Paris." 

Al Masry Al Youm

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