A series of precious treasures of Egypt died because of riots

At least 17 artifacts in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo disappeared after a break in the days when the country's capital shook because of riots, an official announced.

A pharaoh statue is stolen in the Egyptian Museum.(Photo: AP)

CNN quoted Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, saying criminals smashed a window of the Egyptian Museum and broke into the night of January 28 - the time when the city Cairo chaos because of anti-government protests and police pulled out of the city. The Egyptian museum is located near Tahrir Cairo square, the center of the protest. Some suspects were arrested immediately after the break-in took place. Some of them keep museum artifacts. Officials are investigating to recover the number of antiques.

Among the stolen artifacts is the young king statue of Tutankhamun in the hands of a gilded wooden goddess, a limestone statue of King Akhenaten, a sandstone head of a princess, 11 small wooden statues of Yuya (prime minister in the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt). Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, said museum staff discovered the disappearance of artifacts after inventory.

Tarek al-Awadi, director of the Egyptian Museum, said intruders broke 13 display cabinets and at least 70 antiques.

Built in 1858, the Egyptian Museum houses more than 100 thousand artifacts, including many famous antiques around the world. When riots broke out and spread in Cairo after January 25, soldiers and many people tried to protect the Egyptian Museum.