Yemeni researcher and heritage specialist Abdullah Mohsen announced that ten Yemeni artifacts have been officially registered in INTERPOL’s Database of Stolen Works of Art, marking a significant step toward documenting and protecting Yemen’s cultural heritage after decades of widespread looting and theft from museums and archaeological sites.
“This registration represents an important milestone in safeguarding Yemen’s heritage from theft and illicit trafficking,” Mohsen said. “It also allows for the inclusion of these artifacts in UNESCO’s Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects, which features interactive 3D images of more than 600 looted artworks from around the world.”
Mohsen noted that more than 30 years have passed since the looting of the National Museum in Aden, without any of the stolen items being recorded in an international database - a gap that has made protecting Yemen’s heritage exceedingly difficult. “Today, however,” he added, “we are beginning a new phase in tracing and re-documenting our national treasures.”
He explained that the newly listed items include stone and marble statues, gold jewelry, and inscribed panels from various historical periods. The initiative follows the earlier registration - 17 years ago - of the bronze kneeling female statue, popularly known as the “Dancing Woman”, which dates back to the 3rd century BCE and bears an inscription in the ancient Musnad script on a rectangular base.
According to Mohsen, the effort is part of a broader campaign to register all missing artifacts from the museums of Aden, Zanzibar, Seiyun, Dhofar, and other locations, to ensure international recognition and recovery of Yemen’s looted heritage.
He credited the success of this initiative to cooperation between the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums, the Ministry of Culture, Yemen’s office at INTERPOL, and the Yemeni Embassy to UNESCO, praising the contributions of Ambassador Dr. Mohammed Jumeh, Dr. Ahmed Bataiyah, Mohammed Salem Al-Saggaf, Attorney General Judge Qaher Mustafa Ali, and INTERPOL liaison chief Brig. Dr. Abdulkhaleq Al-Salawi.
“The goal now,” Mohsen concluded, “is to continue and expand this effort, ensuring that all missing Yemeni artifacts are documented in INTERPOL’s database - a vital step toward their protection and eventual repatriation to their rightful home.”
