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A once-powerful pharaoh’s priceless bracelet was melted down and sold after being stolen from an Egyptian museum, according to local officials.
The disappearance of the bracelet, which once belonged to Pharaoh Usermaatre Amenemope, was announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Sept. 17. Officials circulated images of the artifact to airports and border crossings.
The artifact was taken from the restoration laboratory of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
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A restoration specialist took the bracelet from a safe at the museum on Sept. 9, according to the BBC. She gave it to a silver jeweler — who then sold it to a gold jeweler for $3,735.
The bracelet was then sold to a gold foundry worker for $4,025, who melted it down with other metals. Egyptian officials said the money was seized, and all four suspects have been arrested.
Amenemope ruled during the Third Intermediate Period, likely between 993 and 984 B.C., making the bracelet more than 3,000 years old.
Before the recent arrests, officials circulated pictures of the bracelet, which was made of gold and strung with beads made of lapis lazuli, a blue stone prized in antiquity.
The Egyptian Museum, one of the country’s most popular tourist spots, houses the world’s largest collection of Egyptian antiquities.
The institution has over 120,000 artifacts in its collections.
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The theft of the bracelet came as Egypt remains one of the world’s most popular tourist places, attracting several million visitors per year.
The country’s government recently revealed its plans to build a mega resort at Mount Sinai, the place where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
Archaeologists have also uncovered a variety of treasures, including ancient tombs, which officials hope will boost cultural tourism.
This article has been updated with the latest information.
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