Incredible treasures from various cultures around the world have been stolen or mysteriously lost during wars.
The Greatest Treasures of the World Still Missing Today
The website Live Science has researched approximately 30 treasures worldwide that have gone missing. They may never be found, with some of these treasures potentially at risk of destruction.
1. The Amber Room
Many archaeologists are still searching for the “Amber Room”, constructed in the 18th century at Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia.
This room was adorned with mosaics, mirrors, and gilded carvings, featuring panels made from around 450 kg of amber.
Tsarskoe Selo was occupied by the Germans in 1941 during World War II. The Amber Room was dismantled and taken to Germany, and it has not been seen since.
2. The Ark of the Covenant
Illustration of the “Ark of the Covenant” – (Image: GIZA PYRAMID TICKETS)
According to the Bible, the “Ark of the Covenant” is a chest that contains the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments.
The chest was kept in a temple in Jerusalem, Israel, built by King Solomon. This temple was the holiest site on Earth for the Jewish people.
However, the temple was destroyed in 587 BC when an army from ancient Babylon, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, conquered Jerusalem and plundered the city.
3. The Honjo Masamune Sword
The Honjo Masamune is a sword crafted by Gorō Nyūdō Masamune, who lived from 1264 to 1343 and is regarded as the greatest swordsmith in Japanese history.
The sword was owned by Japan’s first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
At the end of World War II, the sword was handed over to the American authorities during the U.S. occupation of Japan. However, the sword has never been seen since.
4. The Fabergé Eggs
Fabergé Easter Eggs – (Image: MY MODERN MET).
From 1885 to 1916, Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé created the lavish “Easter Eggs” for the Russian royal family.
The Russian Revolution in 1917 led to the execution of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, causing these eggs to go missing.
There are reports suggesting that the eggs were transported from the Soviet Union to the United States at the end of the Cold War.
5. The Florentine Diamond
After World War I, the last Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Charles I, fled to Switzerland, where he stored it in a bank’s vault. What happened next remains unclear.
6. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist
On March 18, 1990, two thieves broke into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, and stole 13 pieces of artwork valued at approximately $500 million.
These included three works by Dutch painter Rembrandt and five works by French artist Edgar Degas.
7. The Skull of Peking Man
Skull of Peking Man – (Image: ALAMY).
In 1923, the fossils of an ancient human known as “Peking Man”, who lived around 750,000 years ago, were discovered in a cave near the village of Zhoukoudian, near Beijing.
The fossils went missing in 1941 during the war between Japan and China.
8. The Nazi Gold Reserve
According to rumors, near the end of World War II, a Nazi force hid a huge amount of gold in Lake Toplitz in Austria.
Several divers have died while trying to search for the gold in the lake’s waters.
