Louvre denies Turkish tiles 'stolen' from historic mosque

PARIS - Agence France-Presse

Ministry officials have taken photos of the artifacts at the Louvre Museum; after analyzing the pictures, the ministry determined that the tiles were stolen from the Piyalepaşa Mosque in the 19th century.

The Louvre museum in Paris yesterday said there had been no official demand from Ankara to return tiles that a Turkish daily claims were stolen from a historic mosque, adding they had been acquired legally.
 
The tiles are part of a 12-metre- (40-foot-) long mosaic put together by the museum and one of the highlights of a new wing of Islamic art which was launched at the end of October.
 
Turkey's Radikal newspaper said they were "stolen" from the Piyale Pasha mosque designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for the vizier and grand admiral Piyale Mehmed Pasha and built between 1565 and 1573.
 
Its interior walls were originally decorated with tiles but are now whitewashed.
 
Louvre authorities on Friday told AFP they had not "received any formal demand from Turkish authorities," to return the tiles and said the pieces used in the mosaic were either donated and bought between 1871 and 1940 "In conditions that were perfectly legal and in line with the rules of the time."

According to Radikal newspaper, Turkey's Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay has started moves to get the tiles back.
 
Louvre's new wing of Islamic art showcases about 3,000 precious works dating from the seventh to the 19th centuries.