The Niğde Provincial Gendarmerie Command teams apprehended six individuals red-handed who were trying to sell a human mummy believed to be from the Middle Ages. During a successful operation in the Bor district, the mummy seized at the residence of a person named H.G. was found to be in a preserved state of bodily integrity. This event is considered an important step in preserving Niğde’s historical wealth.
As a result of the investigation conducted within the scope of combating cultural and natural asset smuggling, it was determined that the six suspects were attempting to sell a male mummy from the Middle Ages. Gendarmerie teams detained the suspects by raiding H.G.’s residence after meticulous work. The seized mummy was handed over to the officials of the Niğde Museum Directorate.
Statement from the Niğde Governorship
The Niğde Governorship issued a written statement regarding the operation, thanking the gendarmerie organization and stating, “We thank our gendarmerie organization for their dedicated efforts to protect our country’s cultural heritage, and we congratulate them for their successful operations. We emphasize once again that we will continue to resolutely protect our cultural heritage.”
The fact that the seized mummy belongs to the Middle Ages and its bodily integrity is preserved is of great historical and archaeological importance. Detailed examination of the mummy can provide significant information about the living conditions, medical practices, and cultural beliefs of that era.
This operation once again demonstrated Turkey’s determination in the fight against historical artifact smuggling. Officials stated that efforts to protect cultural heritage will continue uninterrupted.
