The Marcus Aurelius statue, which is in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States, is being returned to Turkey after lengthy scientific and legal studies.
Considered one of the rarest bronze works of antiquity, this statue draws attention with its depiction of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius as a philosopher.
The statue, which was smuggled out of the country during illegal excavations in the 1960s in the Boubon Ancient City in Burdur, dates back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
The work, located in the Sebasteion, an important cult structure of the Ancient Roman Period, will be reunited with its birthplace this year.
Smuggled Out of Turkey, Changed Hands for Years
The bronze statue, which originated from the ancient city of Boubon and is one of the lost treasures of Anatolian history, was smuggled abroad through illegal excavations in the 1960s and changed hands for years.
The statue, which was added to the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States state of Ohio, was one of the works that Turkey had been pursuing for more than 65 years.
The artifacts stolen from the Ancient City of Boubon were brought to the agenda with the research led by Prof. Dr. Jale İnan, but the return of the Marcus Aurelius statue to Turkey has not been possible until now.
Thanks to the collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the New York Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Unit, which began in 2021, many rare works of Boubon origin, including statues of Lucius Verus, Septimius Severus and Emperor Caracalla, have returned to their homeland.
Scientific Evidence and Legal Process Reveal Statue's Origin
The long-standing studies of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the scientific data collected in previous years proved that the Marcus Aurelius statue belongs to the Sebasteion structure in the Ancient City of Boubon.
The ministry's archive documents, academic research and excavations in the ancient city clearly revealed the original location of the statue.
When eyewitness testimonies about the intensive illegal excavations in the ancient city supported the scientific data, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Service (HSI) found Turkey's return request justified and decided to seize the statue from the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the US District Attorney's Office in New York Manhattan and the US Homeland Security Investigations Unit jointly seized the Marcus Aurelius statue exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The Museum's Objection Did Not Work! The Artwork Returns to Turkey…
The Cleveland Museum of Art appealed to the court in October 2023 against the seizure decision, claiming that the origin of the sculpture was uncertain. However, the scientific data and meticulous analysis presented by Turkey refuted the museum's objection.
Despite the strong evidence, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism took a conciliatory approach and welcomed the Cleveland Museum of Art's request for scientific analysis.
Under the supervision of ministry experts, a silicone foot mold of the statue was taken in the museum in May 2024, and it was determined that it was exactly compatible with the bronze statue bases in the Ancient City of Boubon.
Authorized by the Cleveland Museum, archaeometry expert Prof. Dr. Ernst Pernicka and expert conservators of the Ministry took samples for lead isotope, stone and soil analyses from the Boubon-origin Valerianus statue and Marcus Aurelius statue located in the Boubon Ancient City and Burdur Museum.
Furthermore, impartial analyses carried out in the laboratories of the Curt Engelhorn Archaeometry Center in Germany have conclusively proven that the statue had remained buried in Boubon for many years.
Following these strong scientific findings, the Cleveland Museum of Art accepted the return of the Marcus Aurelius statue to Turkey, and this decision was officially notified to Turkey by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Historical Success in Protecting Cultural Heritage!
With this victory, Türkiye not only took an important step towards protecting its own cultural heritage, but also achieved great success in the international fight against historical artifact smuggling.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which continues its efforts to bring back the artifacts smuggled abroad through diplomatic, legal and scientific means, recorded the return of the Marcus Aurelius statue as one of the most important turning points in this struggle.
