In a significant cultural development, the United States will return the Marcus Aurelius statue to Türkiye after 65 years. This bronze statue, which comes from the ancient city of Boubon in Burdur, was taken abroad during the 1960s through illegal excavations. Currently, it resides in the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism states that this statue is one of the lost treasures of Anatolian history. For over 65 years, Türkiye has pursued the return of this important artifact. Archaeologist Prof. Dr. Jale İnan led research that brought attention to the statue, but its repatriation had not been possible until now.
The Ministry gathered years of diligent efforts and scientific data to prove that the Marcus Aurelius statue belongs to the Sebasteion structure in Boubon. Archival documents and excavation work clearly indicated the statue’s original location.
Witness testimonies about the extensive illegal excavations supported the scientific data. This evidence led the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations to validate Türkiye’s request for repatriation. As a result, they decided to seize the statue from the Cleveland Museum of Art.
In 2023, the Cleveland Museum of Art challenged the seizure decision in court. The museum argued that the statue’s origins were not definitively established. However, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism welcomed the museum’s request for scientific analysis.
Under the supervision of ministry experts, a silicone foot mold of the statue was taken in 2024. This confirmed its compatibility with the bronze statue bases found in Boubon. Archaeometry expert Prof. Dr. Ernst Pernicka, authorized by the Cleveland Museum, and the ministry’s conservation specialists collected samples for lead isotope, stone, and soil analyses. They took samples from both the Valerianus statue and the Marcus Aurelius statue located in Burdur Museum. Additionally, analyses conducted at the Curt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry in Germany proved that the statue had been buried in Boubon for many years.
After these scientific findings, the Cleveland Museum of Art agreed to return the Marcus Aurelius statue to Türkiye. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office communicated this decision to Türkiye.
