Historical artifact operation in Istanbul: Over 10,000 items spanning from the Seljuks to the Ottomans seized

Teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Smuggling Branch conducted an operation against historical artifact smuggling in Beykoz on June 23, as part of efforts to combat "violations of the Law No. 2863 on the Protection of Cultural and Natural Property." Two suspects were apprehended and taken into custody during the operation. A total of 10,185 items, including 6,819 historical artifacts and objects and 3,366 coins, were seized during searches at the address.

Initial examinations of the seized materials indicated that the artifacts belong to the Anatolian Seljuk, Great Seljuk, Urartian, Hittite, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Assyrian, Mesopotamian, Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman periods. It was stated that the collection consists of archaeological objects, coins, inscriptions, and various groups of historical artifacts.

Initial assessments by experts determined that a large portion of the seized items are of a quality suitable for display in museums. Given the diversity, historical value, and quantity of the items, the operation is considered one of the most significant historical artifact seizures in the history of the Anti-Smuggling Branch. The two detained suspects were released by judicial authorities after their procedures, with their files to be submitted later.

News Source: İHA