Antalya in pursuit of smuggled historical artifacts

ANTALYA

As part of a project carried out by the Antalya Promotion Foundation (ATAV), 22,000 signatures have been collected so far for the return of eight historical artifacts that have been smuggled from the southern province of Antalya.

The signatures will be sent to UNESCO when the count reaches 100,000.

The project titled “artifacts are beautiful where they belong to” has continued on the digital platform change.org.tr.

The project seeks the return of the Nereids Monument, Harpy Monument, Payava Sarcophagus, Xanthos F-G-H Monument, Trysa Heroon and Sion Treasure from the ancient city of Trysa, a child relief from Myra rock tombs and Tyke Statue from the ancient city of Perge, which have been smuggled from Antalya and exhibited in museums of various countries.

An application will be made to UNESCO for the return of these artifacts when 100,000 signatures are collected in the project, which is also being announced to foreign tourists arriving in Antalya with an exhibition opened at Antalya Airport International Terminal.

ATAV President Yeliz Gül Ege stated that they not only focus on the natural beauties of Antalya, its sea, sand, sun and the modernity of its facilities but also work for the development and protection of their cultural heritage. Stating that there is also an invisible part of the iceberg, Ege said that there are stories of smuggling in the city that started in the 19th century.

Stating that most of the smuggled artifacts are registered ones, Ege said, “By carrying out a study on which museums these smuggled artifacts are exhibited abroad, we said, ‘The artifacts are beautiful at home,’ and launched a campaign on the digital platform. It is a platform where all citizens of the world can vote. It is actually a perception management based on exhibiting every piece of art at the place where it originated,” she said.

Stating some artifacts were returned following the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s efforts to combat smuggling, foreign relations and diplomatic procedures, Ege said, “These are exhibited in our museum. The artifacts that have already been returned give us hope. Large and small, ancient artifacts smuggled abroad were returned to our country. This is why we wanted to give the message that Antalya pursuits its own artifacts.”

Ege said they first showed these works with photographs and information in the “My Hometown Antalya” calendar. She noted that then they exhibited the replica of the Nereids Monument, the largest of these works, and the photographs of others at the airport to show them to visitors of the city.

Noting that there are English, German and Turkish versions of the eight smuggled artifacts on the website www.culturalheritages.org for the signatories to know why they signed, Ege said: “The Nereids Monument, our greatest artifact smuggled from Xanthos, is currently on display at the British Museum. We have artifacts taken from Perge, and we will continue our struggle about them. The ministry already has studies on one or two artifacts on our list. It was initiated before this campaign. This is like digging a well with a needle. Because there are already groups of people who work for the smuggling of historical artifacts, and they are also struggling.”