UNESCO , the United Nations culture body has unveiled its initiative to create the world's virtual museum dedicated to stolen cultural artefacts.
This project aims to increase public awareness about the issue of cultural heritage trafficking and underscore the exceptional significance of preserving cultural heritage.
In this museum, visitors can explore a series of virtual environments featuring intricate 3D representations of these artefacts.
Each item will be accompanied by informative content highlighting its distinctive cultural importance, including narratives and insights from the communities connected to it.
Created in partnership with Interpol, the international police organization with a database containing over 52,000 stolen cultural objects from museums, collections, and archaeological sites worldwide, the virtual museum, costing $2.5 million (£2.05 million), is scheduled to launch in 2025.
The UNESCO director general, Audrey Azoulay said that “Behind every stolen work or fragment lies a piece of history, identity and humanity that has been wrenched from its custodians, rendered inaccessible to research, and now risks falling into oblivion".
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