So it can be vandalized or even destroyed when the Egyptian government destabilizes yet again and Islamists decide it’s haram?
No thanks. A treasure like that can sit safely in the British Museum for the benefit of all of humanity.
Has Egypt run out of building materials?
Nope, we will be keeping every single item thanks.
If people want to see it you can come and visit them in on of our multiple free museums.
I’m not against the idea of giving stuff back, I just know that as soon as one item is handed back the calls to hand more back will never stop.
The fact is a lot of these items wouldn’t even exist now if they weren’t kept over here.
Some items would be sent back and never be seen again, the general public in these countries aren’t going to become wealthier if they’re sent back.
They’re fine where they are.
They could give back the suez canal to the british as a sign of good faith.
Good luck with that.
As an Irish man I’m no fan of colonialism but a country that had its museum sacked and destroyed by its own citizens should not be trusted with artefacts that are globally significant.
In recent history Egypt has been incredibly unstable. From dictatorship to Muslim brotherhood.
If that happens the British Museum or the Louvre would literally cease to exist 🤣
When the French found the Rosetta Stone it was being used as a brick in a wall. The French immediately recognized its significance.
You don’t get to throw something away and then get mad that someone else discovered that it was valuable. A lot of people try to use the argument of stealing with regards to returning artifacts. Thing is, even today if you go picking through someone’s garbage it’s legally yours. They can’t complain later that you made money off of it. *At least in the US…*
More importantly, though, the Rosetta Stone only has value because of Europeans. It’s because Champollion, with an assist from Young, used it to decipher hieroglyphs that it has any value. Otherwise it would be just another nameless stone in the back room of some museum somewhere. It belongs to exactly where it is.
Champollion actually used an obelisk to ensure accuracy of his reading. The Obelisk of Philae is a second Rosetta Stone. Nobody, outside of those of us afflicted with egyptomania, know this. The Philae Obelisk is currently rotting away in an English garden. Weathered to the point of illegibility.
The only reason that the Rosetta Stone is worth a damn is because of Brits and Frogs.
Ah…the civilized Europeans.Not so civilized when it comes to loot that keeps on giving i guess..
10 comments
So it can be vandalized or even destroyed when the Egyptian government destabilizes yet again and Islamists decide it’s haram?
No thanks. A treasure like that can sit safely in the British Museum for the benefit of all of humanity.
Has Egypt run out of building materials?
Nope, we will be keeping every single item thanks.
If people want to see it you can come and visit them in on of our multiple free museums.
I’m not against the idea of giving stuff back, I just know that as soon as one item is handed back the calls to hand more back will never stop.
The fact is a lot of these items wouldn’t even exist now if they weren’t kept over here.
Some items would be sent back and never be seen again, the general public in these countries aren’t going to become wealthier if they’re sent back.
They’re fine where they are.
They could give back the suez canal to the british as a sign of good faith.
Good luck with that.
As an Irish man I’m no fan of colonialism but a country that had its museum sacked and destroyed by its own citizens should not be trusted with artefacts that are globally significant.
In recent history Egypt has been incredibly unstable. From dictatorship to Muslim brotherhood.
Everybody commenting here should really watch this recent bit [from John Oliver.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJPLiT1kCSM)
If that happens the British Museum or the Louvre would literally cease to exist 🤣
When the French found the Rosetta Stone it was being used as a brick in a wall. The French immediately recognized its significance.
You don’t get to throw something away and then get mad that someone else discovered that it was valuable. A lot of people try to use the argument of stealing with regards to returning artifacts. Thing is, even today if you go picking through someone’s garbage it’s legally yours. They can’t complain later that you made money off of it. *At least in the US…*
More importantly, though, the Rosetta Stone only has value because of Europeans. It’s because Champollion, with an assist from Young, used it to decipher hieroglyphs that it has any value. Otherwise it would be just another nameless stone in the back room of some museum somewhere. It belongs to exactly where it is.
Champollion actually used an obelisk to ensure accuracy of his reading. The Obelisk of Philae is a second Rosetta Stone. Nobody, outside of those of us afflicted with egyptomania, know this. The Philae Obelisk is currently rotting away in an English garden. Weathered to the point of illegibility.
The only reason that the Rosetta Stone is worth a damn is because of Brits and Frogs.
Ah…the civilized Europeans.Not so civilized when it comes to loot that keeps on giving i guess..