Afghan
antiques back after 70 years
KABUL,
March 17: The first of more than 1,400 Afghan artefacts, the most
significant being a ceremonial glass phallus believed to have
been used by Alexander the Great, were unpacked on Saturday in
the biggest return of such items in nearly 70 years.
The
artefacts -- ranging from ancient treasures more than 2,300 years
old to more mundane items such as traditional cloth caps
were unpacked from a container that brought them home on Friday
from years in Switzerland.
Collected
after a worldwide appeal in the late 1990s to try to salvage some
of Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage looted in war, the items
were returned because the country is considered stable enough
to keep them safe. "A very big part of Afghanistan's lost
treasures comes back to Afghanistan", a minister said.AFP