The Central Administration of Archaeological Units at Egyptian Ports announced it has seized five parts of a military uniform that dates back to the Islamic era before an attempt to smuggle it abroad via the Port of Alexandria.
The administration’s chairman, Hamdy Hammam, said in statement on Thursday that the Ministry of Antiquities formed a committee to examine the seized items.
The committee reported the incident to the Public Prosecution and confiscated the artifacts, Hammam added.
For his part, Mohamed Etman, director general of the maritime archaeological ports, said: "The seized items include a helmet, three shields and two parts of a metal piece joined with metal rings. The items are decorated with floral, geometric and animal motifs."
Mohamed el Senousi, director of the Alexandria archaeological unit, said the military uniform dates back to the Safavid dynasty during the ninth century A.H. He also suggested that it belongs to a military commander, who used to place a feather as a distinctive sign dedicated for princes or commanders at the time.
This uniform is a unique piece of art similar to artifacts displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art dating back to the Mamluk dynasty.
