ANKARA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Roman sarcophagus of Hercules, which was smuggled abroad some 50 years ago, was returned Wednesday evening to its Turkish homeland, local Dogan News Agency reported Thursday.
The sarcophagus was brought back from Geneva, Switzerland by a Turkish Airlines cargo plane and was delivered Thursday to the Antalya Museum where it will be put on display.
The ancient Roman artifact was found during illegal excavations in Turkey's southern province of Antalya and smuggled out of the country in late 1960s.
The marble sarcophagus, which depicts the Twelve Labors of Hercules, is authenticated to be sculpted around the end of the 2nd Century, according to experts and archeologists.
In 2015, a Swiss court ruled that it should be returned to Turkey which has been seeking its return since 2011.
