Prof. Dr. Rüstem Aslan Presented “Give Back the Treasures of Troy” at the British Museum

Prof. Dr. Rüstem Aslan, Member of the Department of Archeology at ÇOMÜ’s Faculty of Science Literature and President of the Troy Excavation, spoke at the conference “City of Mythology and Archeology: Troy” organized within the scope of the British Museum’s opening exhibition “Troy: Myth and Reality.”

Stolen artifacts from Ottoman lands obtained by Heinrich Schliemann through illegal channels in 1873 were made available for public viewing in London, England’s British Museum.

Artifacts collected from Germany’s Berlin Museum, England’s Ashmolean Museum and Denmark’s National Museum totaled 300 pieces. During his presentation, Prof. Dr. Rüstem Aslan stressed “the stolen artifacts of Troy after the 19th century, spread throughout 44 different museums and collections throughout the world, should be exhibited at the Troy Museum.”

He also discussed the mythological place of the ancient city of Troy, location of the original archeological excavations and how antiquities were unlawfully taken by Schliemann. The British Museum’s public exhibition will be open for visitors until March 8th, 2020.