Türkiye has obtained the return of a marble head from the ancient Greek city of Smyrna held in the US, the Culture and Tourism Ministry has announced.
Smyrna Antik Kenti kökenli mermer heykel başı, Türkiye’ye iade edildi.
Yıllar sonra ait olduğu topraklara dönen eser, İzmir Arkeoloji Müzesi’nde sergilenmeye başlandı. pic.twitter.com/1rPHwSAl1Y
— Wire (@wire_tr) April 18, 2026
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in a statement posted to the Turkish social media site NSosyal on Tuesday that the piece, formerly in the collection of the Denver Art Museum, had been returned following scientific testing to confirm its provenance.
Since 1934, reports and expert examinations had found the artefact to be from excavations in the Agora of the Smyrna Ancient City and from the Theodosius period, he said.
The article, thought to be from the 5th century CE, had been illegally taken out of the country, Ersoy said.
“Thanks to collaboration and good communication with the Denver Art Museum, we have recovered this artefact,” he said.
The marble head is now exhibited in the Izmir Archaeology Museum, he said, expressing his gratitude to the teams from the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums and others for their work.
“We will strongly continue to safeguard our cultural heritage,” Ersoy said.
