Cairo — A rare and ancient gold bracelet, believed to be some 3,000 years old, has gone missing from the restoration laboratory of Egypt’s historic museum in Tahrir, authorities confirmed. The piece, described as a solid gold band decorated with spherical lapis lazuli beads, is attributed to King Amenemope of the 21st Dynasty (roughly 1070‑945 BC).
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated that the loss was discovered only recently during an inventory check ahead of the “Treasures of the Pharaohs” exhibition that is to be mounted in Rome later in October.
To guard against any illicit export, images of the missing bracelet have been circulated to all archaeological units at Egypt’s airports, ports (sea and land), and border crossings.
Egyptian authorities have launched a formal investigation. The public prosecution and police have been notified, and a specialized committee has been put together to conduct a full inventory of every item in the restoration lab. As part of the inquiry, staff who had access to the artifact are being questioned, and phones belonging to some of them have been seized for examination.
Officials also addressed confusing reports circulating online, pointing out that some photos shared on social media allegedly showing the missing bracelet were in fact images of other similar bracelets which remain safely on display in the museum’s galleries. The museum’s director general emphasized that the missing piece is different and not among those being exhibited.
The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir houses over 170,000 artefacts, among them treasures of King Tutankhamun and other pharaohs.
The disappearance of this Amenemope bracelet comes just weeks before the November 1 official opening of the much‑anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum, part of Egypt’s push to showcase its cultural heritage.