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Ethiopia contains some of the world’s richest archaeological
sites, and has provided valuable information about human
biological development and the ancient world’s cultural and
economic network. The city of Axum in northern Ethiopia has in
particular figured prominently in
East Africa’s
archaeological and historical research.
Believed to have been founded in the
second century A.D.,
Axum was once the capital of one of the four
superpowers of the ancient world. The
Axumite Kingdom minted its own coinage, and by the third century
its trade network extended to the Roman Empire, Iran, India, and
even China. Axumite kings left behind richly decorated obelisks
of solid rock, one of which was over 100 feet tall. In the
Axumite period, Ethiopia had already developed its own alphabet,
used to write the early Ethiopic language of Ge’ez. Greek,
South Arabian, and Ge’ez inscriptions from this era still
survive. In the fourth century, King Ezana converted to
Christianity, and founded the St. Mary of Zion Church in the
city of Axum. Rebuilt in 1635, this church was the site of
Ethiopian coronations for centuries, and it still holds their
crosses and crowns. Axum’s church is also said to hold the Ark
of the Covenant, brought to Ethiopia by the Queen of Sheba’s
son.
THE AXUMITE HERITAGE FOUNDATION
ECDC
established the Axumite Heritage Foundation to restore, preserve,
and promote the ancient and modern cultural achievements of northern
Ethiopia. In 1992, the City of Axum donated the 19th
century Governor’s Palace, known as the ‘Inda Nebri’id. The
building had been used as a soldier’s barracks, a prison, and
eventually a shelter during Ethiopia’s war-torn years from 1974 to
1991, and by the time we received it, it was in a ruinous state.
From 1994 to 2000, the Foundation restored the building, including
structural repairs, electricity, plumbing, installation of doors and
windows, and landscaping. In 2001, the building was re-opened as a
public library. Now, in 2004, the library has 20,000 books and two
librarians, and it serves 200 to 300 people every day including the
general public, civil servants, and teachers and students from
schools up to 60 km distant.
As a community library, it provides vital
support to local schools, and its resources
offer a “next step” for the many people
who have achieved basic literacy but are
no longer enrolled in an educational program.
As we continue to improve the library, it
will take on a dual purpose, serving both
the local public and the academic community
of scholars in
Ethiopia and abroad. In 2004, we
plan to improve the library’s community role by
computerizing the catalogue and starting a
circulation policy. At the same time, we
will compile an Ethiopian Studies collection that
will form the core of a research library
Long term activities include:
-
developing a Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections
Library to preserve such documentation
and promote its use by the general public
and visiting scholars;
-
conducting a feasibility study for the construction
of a new library facility with better
climate control; and
-
undertaking a strategic planning process to convert
the current library building into an ethnographic
museum for the region. The museum
will offer cultural education programs
for the general public and for artisans,
and it will coordinate and encourage city-wide
preservation projects.
We are currently soliciting donations in the form of
computer equipment, texts on Ethiopia, and funds.
Checks should be made out to the Axumite Heritage Foundation
and mailed to:
Axumite
Heritage Foundation, ECDC
901 South Highland Street
Arlington, VA 22204
To find out more about the program or to discuss an in-kind
donation, contact Tsehaye Teferra at (703) 685-0510 or
info@ecdcinternational.org
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