Statue of Roman Emperor gets brought back to Turkey after six decades
(MENAFN) A bronze statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, removed from Türkiye more than 60 years ago, has been brought back to the country and will be the highlight of “The Golden Age of Archaeology” exhibition, opening August 6 at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
The nearly 2,000-year-old artifact will go on display in Türkiye for the first time as part of a six-month exhibition featuring over 150 rare historical items. More than 80% of the showcased pieces have never been publicly exhibited before.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to officially open the event, which will also host a three-day international symposium in the capital. The gathering will include over 250 scholars, with 29 international guests and 33 academic speakers participating.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy commented on the exhibition through social media on Sunday, saying the return of the statue and the broader initiative symbolize more than just the repatriation of heritage.
“The silent legacy of history buried beneath the soil has now become one of Türkiye’s most powerful tools of diplomacy,” he wrote, describing the exhibition as part of “a strategic vision shaping Türkiye’s cultural future.”
The statue, which dates back to the 2nd–3rd century AD, was illegally taken from Türkiye in the 1960s and eventually became part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection in Ohio. Depicting Marcus Aurelius in the style of a philosopher, it is considered one of the finest bronze works originating from Anatolia.
Its return was secured through joint efforts by Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and US Homeland Security Investigations. The handover ceremony took place in April at the museum.
This recovery is seen as one of Türkiye’s most significant successes in reclaiming its cultural heritage in recent years.
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