Kyrgyzstan minister sacked for burying museum mummy

A historical artifact, dating from the 1st-5th centuries AD, discovered by archaeologists in 1956, was buried.

Photo: Sputnik

Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Culture Tugolbai Kazakov, who ordered the burial of the mummy of the National Museum, has been dismissed. The decree of the head of state Almazbek Atambaev was published on the website of the president of the republic.

- Accept the resignation of Mr. Kazakov Tugolbay Toktogulovich and dismissal from the post of Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic - the statement said.

On October 20, scientists and archaeologists sent a letter to the President of the country with a request to return to the historical museum the mummy that was removed from display and buried on Kazakov's orders. They called the actions of the Minister of Culture an act of sabotage.

The mummy was buried on October 14 in Batken province. When giving the order to bury the mummy, the Minister of Culture explained his action with religious elements. He said:

"We are Muslims, and according to our Muslim tradition, it is not allowed to keep the body of the deceased for a long time, so we need to bury the mummy."

This historical artifact dates back to the 1st-5th centuries AD. The corpse of an unknown woman was found in the Batken province of Kyrgyzstan by Leningrad archaeologists in 1956. The discovery was kept in the Bishkek History Museum.

According to Sputnik