After more than six decades abroad, the statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, smuggled out of Türkiye in the 1960s, has returned home.
The ancient artefact, originally taken from the Ancient City of Boubon in southwestern Türkiye, has been successfully repatriated from the United States following a lengthy and determined legal and diplomatic battle, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy announced Saturday.
In a statement on X, Ersoy hailed the statue’s return as a “historical achievement”, noting that the process involved years of gathering evidence, navigating complex legal pathways, and coordinating with international authorities.
“It was a long struggle. We were right, we were determined, we were patient, and we won,” Ersoy said. “We gathered the necessary evidence by clawing our way through. And we brought the ‘Philosopher Emperor’ Marcus Aurelius back to the land where he belongs.”
The statue, which dates to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, was smuggled out of the country during illegal excavations at the ancient city of Boubon in the Gölhisar district of Burdur. One of Anatolia’s rarest bronze sculptures, it changed hands over the years before ending up in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, U.S.
The return, which Türkiye has pursued for over 65 years, holds a special place in ancient art history due to its rare depiction of Marcus Aurelius as a philosopher.
Once displayed in the United States, the statue’s return is a significant moment in Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to recover its looted cultural heritage.
Ersoy said that the repatriation is “more than just a repatriation; it is a historical achievement” and a “concrete result of our years-long pursuit of justice.”
He reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to protecting its cultural assets both domestically and internationally. “Whether at home or abroad, we will remain steadfast in protecting all of our cultural heritage that has been smuggled out,” he said.
The statue will soon be unveiled to the public in Ankara through a surprise exhibition.
Ersoy extended his gratitude to the Burdur Museum, the Boubon excavation team, and particularly the Anti-Smuggling Department of the Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums. He also paid tribute to the late Prof. Jale İnan, a pioneering figure in Turkish archaeology, whose work laid the groundwork for the recovery.
Thanks were also directed to Turkish Airlines for facilitating the transport of the statue back to Türkiye.
The return of Marcus Aurelius’ statue is a powerful symbol of cultural justice and the resilience of Türkiye’s determination to reclaim its heritage.
The repatriation was made possible through collaboration between Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York, and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Unit.
The process relied heavily on scientific analyses, archival documents, and witness statements to prove the statue’s provenance, according to Ersoy.
More Roman emperors return
The joint effort, launched in 2021, also led to the return of other artefacts of Boubon origin, including statues and busts of Roman emperors Lucius Verus, Septimius Severus, and Caracalla.
The process relied heavily on scientific analyses, archival documents, and witness statements. According to officials, the Manhattan DA’s Office and Homeland Security found Türkiye’s claims justified, citing information about the 1967 illicit excavation, the exact match of the statue’s foot to pedestal marks, and the discovery of a similar sandal in nearby Kybra.
Despite a legal challenge in Oct. 2023 by the Cleveland Museum of Art contesting the statue’s association with Boubon, analyses conducted by the Curt Engelhorn Archaeometry Center in Germany confirmed that the statue had been buried in Boubon soil for many years.
Zeynep Boz, Director of the Anti-Smuggling Department, revealed the meticulous work that went into acquiring a reference soil sample. Because the soil inside a preserved Valerianus statue from the same region had hardened, conservators had difficulty extracting a sample. “We scratched it with our fingernails,” Boz said, recalling how ministry staff carefully gathered enough soil under the supervision of international experts to enable a conclusive match.
Laboratory tests confirmed that both the Valerianus statue and the Marcus Aurelius statue had the same soil composition and originated from the same archaeological context. Following this, the Cleveland Museum of Art officially dropped its legal challenge and accepted the repatriation decision via the Manhattan DA’s Office.
