A one-week summer professional development program in Rome, with Dr. Samer Abdel Ghafour - cultural heritage expert on the illicit trafficking of antiquities in the MENA region.
Taught in person in Rome, Italy, July 7-11, 2025. The program will meet daily from Monday to Friday..
This course is open to all interested parties and assumes no prior knowledge of the field. It is likely to benefit individuals working in, or aspiring to work in, cultural heritage, art administration, museums, provenance research, law enforcement, criminology or customs authorities.
The world of antiquities has been deeply affected by the systematic looting and illicit trafficking of cultural heritage, particularly in regions of the Middle East and North Africa. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the complex problem of antiquities trafficking, examining the motives and operations of looters, traffickers, and dealers.
Drawing on case studies from conflict and post-conflict areas such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, participants will gain insight into how stolen artefacts are laundered through illicit supply chains before appearing in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide. By understanding these processes, participants will be better equipped to recognise and combat art and heritage crimes.
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