Culture

17 Ancient Ethiopian Manuscripts Repatriated

AI SUMMARY

Seventeen ancient spiritual parchment manuscripts have been officially repatriated to Ethiopia and distributed among seven national institutions.

Seventeen ancient spiritual parchment manuscripts that previously left Ethiopia under unspecified circumstances have been officially repatriated.
The manuscripts date from the 17th century onward and include the Ta’amra Maryam, the Four Gospels, the Synaxarium, and the Psalms of David.
The returned items were formally received in Addis Ababa and distributed among seven national institutions, including the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Patriarchate, the National Archives and Library Agency, and the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University.
Prof. Abebaw Ayalew, Director General of the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, and Restitution Committee member Dr. Alula Pankhurst spoke at the handover ceremony.
The Ethiopian Heritage Authority reports that more than 67 trafficked cultural artifacts have been recovered and returned to Ethiopia over the past seven years.
The manuscripts serve as primary sources for research into Ethiopia’s history, religious traditions, art, and manuscript culture.