ALBAWABA - An AI-generated video of the bust of Queen Nefertiti saying "I want to go home" has gone viral on social media, causing a flood of comments from Egyptians calling for her return from Berlin's Neues Museum to Egypt.
This comes after Egypt officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Pyramids of Giza following decades of planning and construction. According to Travel Noire, the $1.2 billion museum is now home to 100,000 artifacts from Egypt's history. The Grand Museum aims to boost tourism in the country as the government expects it to welcome over five million visitors annually.
"I want to go home": Egyptians call for the return of Nefertiti bust
As the Grand Egyptian Museum opened its doors, many Egyptian locals asked the same question: Why is Nefertiti still in Germany? The event prompted a campaign urging the return of ancient artifacts that many describe as "stolen."
Egyptian archaeologist and the former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Zahi Hawass, told 24 that the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum indicates that Egyptians are more than capable of preserving their heritage and displaying it to the highest standards, debunking claims from the West that said otherwise.
He described the museum's opening as "the most important event in the history of modern Egypt."
