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Egypt

Looted pharaoh statue found by Cairo teenager

A 16-year-old Cairo protester found a priceless statue of  Pharoah Akhenaten near a trash can after the Egyptian museum had been looted during anti-regime demonstrations, Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said on Thursday. The teen found the statue near a rubbish bin in Tahrir Square.

Reuters/Supreme Council of Antiquities
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The youth took the statue home and his uncle, Sabri Abdelrahman, a professor at the

American University in Cairo, recognised the piece and returned it to museum officials, said Hawass.

"The statue is one of the most beautiful statues of Akhenaten, which highlights the skill of Egyptian artists at the time," said Egyptian Museum director Tarek al-Awadi.

The statue is being restored before going back on display in the museum. Last year, Akhenaten was determined - via DNA - to be the father of King Tutankhamun.

The museum was looted and several antiquities were stolen last month, including statues of King Tutankhamun and Pharoah Akhenaten.

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