Which Air Force Bombed Italy Destroying Many Art Treasures?
Past Hagos Abrha Abay[1]
It is incommunicable to presently know how many thousands of Tigrayans have been killed in the war that began in Nov 2020. These atrocities took identify without regard to age, gender, social class, health or any other factor. All this information will require careful, systematic research which cannot currently be conducted. These murders were accompanied by land grabbing, indigenous cleansing and widespread and genocidal rape. As Ethiopian and Eritrean government forces and private militia attacked Ethiopian citizens living in the northernmost region of Ethiopia, Tigray, they likewise attacked religious, historical and cultural sites of immense value including museums, archeological sites, mosques, churches and monasteries. Tigray heritage icons were deliberately and systematically targeted, especially those that were popularly celebrated and held historical significance.
To appreciate the full weight of these attacks, the office and influence of the Church building in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia which has underpinned historical and modern claims of political and war machine authorization, shaped community identity, and informed cultural narratives, must exist understood. Bombing, terrorizing, and otherwise degrading churches and monasteries strikes at traditional Ethiopian ability structures, cherished multifunctional gathering places, sacred spaces, and represents a grave dishonoring of cultural values and works of bang-up dazzler.
Targets of war: a survey of churches, monasteries and historically meaning sites
Tigray is a land of precious heritages with thousands of monasteries and churches, near 150 of them rock hewn. Tourists from around the world and pilgrims from across the country have travelled to visit these sacred spaces. These are Tigray heritage icons and they; their historical objects, sacred items, priests and congregations take been intentionally targeted. At the time of writing at least 40 churches and monasteries have had a general assessment of amercement, merely nosotros assume that hundreds of monasteries and churches have been afflicted in one way or another past the hostility. A detailed report from the Tigray Orthodox Church building Diocese just three months into the war in February 2021, showed usa that 326 members of the priesthood had already been killed; we do not take clear data on how many members of the clergy were killed in the many months that followed. At least 112 priests and deacons of Tigray origin accept been detained in Addis Ababa, many of whom were arrested during the Ethiopian Meskel festival in September 2021. The atrocities accept been perpetrated by joint forces: Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Eritrean Defence Forces, and Amhara forces (Amhara Militia and Amhara Special Forces) and take been supported past drones and armed services personnel from various countries, most significantly the UAE, Turkey and China.
On the eve of the popular annual celebration of St. Mary which draws crowds to the holy city of Aksum every yr, a bloody massacre began. Aksum; Tsion, the holy city, is the Head of Churches and Monasteries in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia. The chapel at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Tsion in Aksum is trusted every bit the treasury of the biblical Ark of the Covenant. The faithful were participating in a unique monthly 7 day supplication ritual where they surround and circle the sacred church building of Mary Tsion three times, reflecting how Zion in the Old Testament is described as being surrounded past protective mountains, when they were suddenly interrupted by forcefulness. Eritrean troops had arrived, many congregants stayed on the church compound hoping to protect the Ark of the Covenant and they were massacred. Over the grade of two days on November 28th-29th 2020 in that location are estimates 800 civilians, come across also this, were killed, including priests and children. Aksum, the ultimate spiritual and historical pride of the people of Tigray, not to mention Orthodox Christian Federal democratic republic of ethiopia equally a whole, was disgraced.
Maryam Dengelet is a monastery and church complex with a newer church stationed in forepart of and below an ancient rock hewn church. Significantly, an unvocalized Aksumite Geez inscription was recently found near here. The ancient rock hewn church was also recently reopened subsequently being inaccessible for 200 years, revealing unique and precious heritage items. Eritrean soldiers arrived on the 24-hour interval of Maryam Dengelat's most pop annual festival, Saint Mary'southward Feast Day on Nov 30th 2020, looted property and conducted a ruthless execution of civilians including elders, children and priests.
Maryam Dengelet (courtesy of Michael Gervers, 2002)
The Firedashum Massacre is one of the underreported massacres in Eastern Tigray; later destroying the village houses and the simply millhouse nearby, Eritrean troops massacred more sixty-one civilians, more than 5 of them priests. More than 32 civilians and priests were said to have been killed in the church building of Medhanie'alem Gu'tolo (a church dedicated to Jesus) during its holyday on January 4th 2021. Moreover, another church building nearby, named Enda Qirkos Firedashum (source: Mahibere Deqiqe Estifanos), a church dedicated to St. Cyriacus, was burned and its heritage, both ecclesiastical materials and manuscripts, destroyed at the aforementioned outcome. The Firedashum villagers were horrifically killed, intimidated and at that place are reports of villagers being tied down for days in front of their killed relatives. Detailed identities and stories of all the individuals killed in this village are known and well documented by the locals.
These get-go few incidents listed indicate a design of targeting churches on their holy days and festival days when large numbers of congregants and priests were in omnipresence. Ethiopian Christmas Day 2020 for example, is known to have been ane of the deadliest days for civilians in the war so far, with the- Debre Abay Massacre, and multiple churches and communities attacked at the same time. During the Ethiopian Christmas calendar week of 2021 between the quaternary-8th of Jan, Eritrean troops are believed to have executed 300 Saho speaking civilians of the Irob minority group solitary, in a horrifying door-to-door campaign. 72 of the individuals are well known, all the same the northeastern area of Tigray where the Irob people live has been nether continuous Eritrean occupation the entire course of this war and some of the atrocities accept been hard to verify.
Most of the brutalities in Eastern Tigray were committed past Eritrean soldiers. Qirqos Ligat in Zalambessa was 1 of the offset reported churches to exist destroyed past them (equally yous tin can see in the video). Targeting churches and sacred spaces became worse as the soldiers advanced to the heart of the state with numerous churches and monasteries in central Tigray and Eastern Tigray defaced by Eritrean forces.
The church of Qirqos Ligat (source: social media)
The renowned 6th century monastery of Debre Dammo, a compound only accessible past rope upward a sheer cliff on a flat-topped mount, is the beginning Christian monastery in Ethiopia (vithursday century) home to a rich drove of manuscripts, and it is where various prestigious Ethiopian monks got their monkhood from. Although no fighting was taking identify in its vicinity, and while the site was of no strategic advantage, information technology was deliberately shelled past Eritrean soldiers. While there is some variance in local reporting, it is clear that the monastery was bombed, buildings around the complex were damaged and one monk was killed. More than five Eritrean soldiers were reported to take climbed up to the monastery, vandalized the space and intimidated the monks.
The first Christian Monastery in the Sub-Saharan Africa, Debre Damo
(Courtesy of Michael Gervers, 2004)
The famous rock hewn Ger'alta churches in east Tigray were damaged by shelling, including the 14th century church Abuna Abraham known for its various architectural features and wall paintings; members of the monastic customs were threatened and beaten. Priests and civilians were intimidated in the monastery of Abuna Yematta of Guh, a place dedicated to ane of the 6th century Nine Saints and known for its impressively detailed, ancient frescos. This rock hewn church and the beauty of its surrounding mountains drew many tourists to Ger'alta and fabricated information technology a well loved tourist destination. 19 civilians were killed and 2 injured hither on May 7, 2021.
The Monastery of Abune Abraham (Hagos Abrha Abay, 2018)
Wuqro Qirqos is an iconic church building that- sits on a very important part of the historic trade route leading to the Red Sea. Local residents filmed the celebrated church building as information technology appears to be shelled by invading forces. The church of Debre Medhanit Amnuel Ma'go, in the Wereda Kiltewla'lo district of Negash, was Shelled twice on 24thursday Nov 2020 by the Eritrean soldiers. The church building and its ecclesiastical materials were destroyed; the prototype of Emanuel/Jesus, later whom the church building is named, was as well damaged, as tin can exist seen in the photo.
The church of Debre Medhanit, Amanuel Ma'go (Source: Dimtsi Weyane Tigray)
The stone hewn church and monastery circuitous of Maryam Yerefeda in Digum (Eastern Tigray) is historical church with 3 tabots, dedicated to St. Mary, St. Gabriel, and St. Michael; the church is said to take been attacked 3 times, especially on 25 December 2020, and xiv Jan 2021. Eritrean troops are believed to be primarily responsible. According to testimony, two generators, two amplifiers, and a bell were destroyed. Maryam Yerefeda's library is totally ruined. Throughout the length of their occupation of Tigray, Eritrean soldiers became known for looting whatever holding they found. The full extent of private property, church materials, icons that were looted by the Eritreans forces are not yet well documented.
Waldibba in Northwestern Tigray is 1 of the biggest, and most well-established monasteries in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia. It had a strong link with Debre Bonkol of Aksum, which was a identify of Bahre Negasi of the thirteenthursday century. Founded in the 14th century past a Tigrayan monk from Aksum named Abba Samuel. Waldibba was amidst the monasteries that historically remained untouched during disharmonize, even by Ahmed b. Ibrahim al-Gazi, who notoriously caused widespread destruction of sacred spaces in his 16thursday century invasion of Ethiopia. More i thousand monks and a few hundred nuns are believed to live in the monastery, belonging to more than xviii distinct monastic communities. These coenobotic monastic communities hail from all over Ethiopia with a majority of them being from Tigray.
Many of the monks who alive on the chemical compound never leave it, devoting their lives to study and prayer. The Waldibba compound is sizable and is not only a monastery. It too contains a vast hermits' desert with a wilderness that is surrounded past rivers including the Ensiya and Zarema rivers. This compound has been used as a sanctuary for destabilized individuals; members of the Derg Regime were believed to have hidden themselves in the monastery because monasteries are independent entities, and historically and culturally considered to be untouchable by the secular community.
That belief has been shattered during this state of war. Hundreds of ethnically Tigrayan monks were bandage out of the monastery by Amhara forces and their Amhara 'brethren'. Some were really killed inside the monastery while they were praying. Most monks of Tigrayan origin were evicted and displaced to cities and other monasteries across Tigray.
Destabilized Monks of Waldibba (source: Tsegaze'ab Kidane)
The monastery of Mer'awe Kirstos in north-western Tigray became known as an asylum for many of these monks. However even here where Waldibba monks sought refuge, more than 50 civilians, 10 of them priests, are reported to accept been massacred by Amhara forces (Source: Mergeta Qetsela). Precious manuscripts and heritages from this monastery were also looted. Some of the monks of Waldibba, many of whom were elderly, did not recover from the beatings endured while being expelled from the monastery. Others, having had such limited contact with the outside world for years until their expulsion, quickly became ill and died during their exile. Lxx-i year old Abba Gebrewahid, is one example of a revered monk who was troubled, became ill, died and was buried in Aksum. According to local reports and eyewitness testimony, the Amhara forces committed all these atrocities at Waldibba in collaboration with some of the non-Tigrayan origin monks from the monastery itself.
Gospel from the Monastery of Mer'awe Kirstos
(Courtesy of Michael Gervers, 2005)
The monastery of Debre Abay, which was established by Samuel of Waldibba at the end of 14thursday century during the reign of Dawit II, is a famous center of excellence for Ethiopian orthodox traditional schooling, providing education in a multifariousness of disciplines and preeminent in the field of church liturgy mass service (Qǝddase). It was attacked by Ahmed b. Ibrahim al-Gazi in the sixteenth century and the church in the budgetary compound was bombed past the Italians in the Second-Italian-Abyssinian State of war. The mid to 2d one-half of the nineteenth century was a very significant menstruum for Debre Abay and for its reputation as a monastery. Throughout modern times it has remained a popular school. Any Ethiopian deacon who graduates from Debre Abay is equally proud of his education as any of today's near renowned academy graduates. This icon of Tigray's and Federal democratic republic of ethiopia's heritage was vandalized by the Amhara and ENDF forces. Civilians, priests and students were ferociously killed, its heritage was looted, and fabric of the monastery's traditions was erased. Access to Northwestern and Western areas of Tigray is limited. Western Tigray, where ethnic cleansing and horrific brutalities like the Maykadra massacre and the extrajudicial executions in- Humera proceed, much of the territory is still under occupation by the ENDF and their allied forces. Subsequently, no report nearly monasteries and churches from in that location is included in this article.
The Monastery of Debre Abay (Courtesy of Michael, Gervers, 2005)
In Wejjerat in southeastern Tigray, every bit they were preparing one evening for the ceremony day of Ezgi'na Mam'at Church, the faithful were interrupted. Their evening repast was purposely destroyed and elders were taunted inside the church; this was committed a few weeks after about 7 elders were massacred nearby, in Tsehafti. Ethiopian soldiers who had been camping in the surroundings of Abune Aregawi Church of Quiha for a short time, and used to fume cigarettes inside the church building, and they are said to have entered the St. Mary Church of Quiha during the service of the mass, threatening civilians and priests.
Even though the caste of impairment is non even so articulate, local reports show the Yeha Monastery was affected and manuscripts were looted; it may also be connected to-the Ahsi'a Massacre where more than 117 civilians, 19 of them in Addi Gitaw alone, including priests, were massacred (source: Qol'a Baray). In just the church of Debre Anbessa, Kidanamihret church building, more than 10 civilians and priests including the church administrator Abba Gebremeskel, were brutally killed by Eritrean soldiers. The guardian of the Ahsi'a secondary schoolhouse whose name was Gebre'aregay, escaped the violence and he claimed asylum in Debre Anbessa, but he was still killed inside the church. A university pupil and one operator from Sur Construction company were among the murdered youth. Sexual abuse was as well committed here. We exercise not yet have clear data most the church building and its heritages.
The monasteries of Endabba Tsihma (a church dedicated to one of the Nine Saints in Edaga Arbi), Tseftsef Kidanamihret (Nebelet), Maryam Wuqro (Nebelet) amidst the other churches in Central Tigray, in one or some other fashion, were attacked past the Eritrean forces. Civilians were killed around the monastery of Endabba Thishma. Some monasteries in Qola Temben (Central Tigray) like Endaba Noba, Endaba Yohanni, Jiwamare Mika'el were part of the target. The church of Jiwamare Mikaʾel, had precious manuscripts looted by the Amhara and ENDF forces.
Northwest, Central, Eastern function of Tigray are relatively the most attacked zones in case of heritage; this is mainly considering these areas were the main gets of the Amhara and the Eritrean forces, who were described to be more cruel; many other churches and monasteries in the Northwestern Tigray were attacked by Amhara forces and ENDF. The targets in the Mahiberedego Massacre, for example, were members of a local congregation traveling together to a religious feast called a Tsebel. Local reports depict the civilians as being brutally murdered by ENDF and Amhara forces and thrown off the edge of a cliff.
The Church building of Maryam Medhanit in Northwest Tigray (Addi Da'ero), as you can see in the picture, has been destroyed by the Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers; Christians congregated in the church building and sang the prayer "O Lord, Take mercy on us" after its destruction. The church of Enda Abune Aregawi (Addi Da'ero) is also affected from shelling. Kidanemiḥret Amburko (Tselemti) and Abune Zerʾabruk both in the northwestern Tigray were damaged from shelling by Amhara forces. Another monastery chosen Abune Tadewos was damaged by bombing (past a zu-23) and heritage objects, including manuscripts, were looted. Many civilians were also killed and their heritage, including manuscripts, were looted in the monastery of Abune Thomas in Northwestern Tigray. More than than 12 monasteries, at least in this article, were nevertheless reported to have been damaged in Northwestern Tigray, mainly by Amhara and ENDF forces; the reports are from local sources.
Enda Amanuel Samre and Qeretsa Maryam of Seharti are among the churches known to have been damaged by shelling in southwestern Tigray. Qeretsa Maryam was bombed from the air. The grounds surrounding the church of Maryam Korem were recently bombed by drones and nosotros know that many civilians died in the assault. We do non all the same have a report on the physical damage to the church building. Brutalities in the South and Southwestern Tigray have not nonetheless been well reported. According to local reports and Dimtsi Weyane Tigray Idiot box, reported recently, 175 civilians including priests were killed during the Bora Massacre on Nov 23, 2020; co-ordinate to the study, until the first three months of 2021, other 179 civilians were injured; 438 goats and sheep, and 46 cattle were looted or slaughtered at that place. Moreover, 387 quintals of grain were burned; 180 houses were burned down, 17 women raped; unspecified church located in Neqsege areas was totally burned; in the church of Eguyat St. Mary, a monk named Abba Hiluf was executed. In Gedefena in the St. John Church area, a priest named Mamu and three their deacons were killed, with a full of nine priests reported to accept been killed around that village. All this destruction was committed past ENDF and Amhara forces. I was in Southern Tigray during the beginning three months after the war started, I am a witness, amidst other things, for an unimaginable devastation of agronomical investments in southern Tigray. In Rayya, massive farmlands, dairy farming (including estimated to 500 Holstein-Friesian cows from a unmarried subcontract of Haleka Moges) were fabricated out of utilize; this tin exist covered in particular in a separate article.
Archeological sites, museums and memorial sites were affected, in improver to the harm inflicted on religious buildings and their environments. Aksum Archaeological Museum was looted on Feb 1, 2021 by the Eritrean soldiers; according the curator of the museum Layn Mawcha. Amid other things, 26 Aksumite coins (10 aureate, xvi silver) were looted by the Eritrean soldiers. Cars with heavy loads were said to accept been in many of the restricted areas around the Aksumite stelaes; this could be one of the almost frustrating issues in case of the stelaes, which were already endangered after the one restituted from Italian republic was erected. The part of Wuqro Archeological Museum is reported to have been damaged past Eritrean soldiers. Two other archeological sites around Wuqro and in Aksum, Addi Gutay have also reported that their shelter, fences and related archeological materials have been looted and vandalized by the Eritrean forces.
The Emperor Yohannes Four Palace, the abode of a significant Ethiopian king from the nineteenth century, is found in the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle. The palace was renovated and transformed into a museum with UNESCO's aid. Today almost of the cultural artifacts in the museum have been destroyed or looted by federal Ethiopian forces. Tigray Martyr's Memorial Museum found in Mekelle near the Tigrayan Martyrs Monument, a symbolic and educational site commemorating Tigray's revolutionary struggle in the 1980's, has been completely devastated. When these two heritage sites were attacked, the city of Mekelle was totally controlled past the Ethiopian National Defense Force. In that location were no skirmishes, battles or shots fired anywhere nigh these culturally significant sites, withal they were intentionally obliterated past Ethiopian soldiers. The same is true for the statue of Qeshi Gebru, a female fighter against the Derg Regime in the 1980's. Members of ENDF and Amhara forces applauded and knocked it over in Humera; the consequence is documented in video footage that has been circulated on social media.
Upon the destruction of development infrastructure like textile factories, large agricultural assets, schools, wellness centers and the list here could on, private backdrop and heritages were looted. In that location are widespread reports of Eritrean soldiers annexation private property so exhaustively that they fifty-fifty took cooking utensils. There are likewise many reports indicating that Eritrean soldiers would then burn whatever was left behind, fifty-fifty a family's food items. Heritage antiquities were looted both for economical proceeds (with many items containing silver and gold) and for the intentional discarding of Tigrayan values. Artifact shops in and exterior the Ethiopian borders must now have received looted Tigary heritage items. A friend of mine from Kenya informed me that someone approached him to sell Tigray antiquity objects. Our vigilance in documenting online heritage selling, and general assessments of heritage loss in Tigray can exist important for accountability and repatriation (if possible) after the war.
The "Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention" (UNESCO, 2015) treats cultural heritage rights every bit being human rights. A draft policy of the International Criminal Court (ICC) published on 22 March 2021 commodity eight:41 says, "War crimes fall under the Court'southward jurisdiction under commodity 8 of the Statute, and at present may offering the nearly straightforward means to accost intentional impairment to cultural heritage—not least since it is well established that these crimes not simply address violence to the person but also to property." As Tigray heritage, including the globe registered heritages like Aksum, are office of our shared global heritage and history, information technology is incumbent upon the responsible and capable international bodies to exist well concerned about the targeted destruction and theft of Tigray heritage icons, to advancement for accountability, and for everything from restitution up to rehabilitation.
Al Nejashi: Targeting a symbol of Tigray'due south religious symbiosis (or coexistence/liberty)
While the Muslim population in Tigray remains a minority, they have a very significant historical mosque located in Negash. Some of Muhammad's first followers found refuge with the Christian Aksumite Empire when they were facing persecution in Mecca. The Male monarch at the time welcomed the Muslims with open artillery, provided them with protection and freedom to worship, and refused to expel the refugees even when rulers in Mecca sent lavish gifts and delegations to persuade him.15 tombs of the first immigrants from the First Hegira in Islam are located on the grounds of the Al Nejashi Mosque in Eastern Tigray. Information technology is considered to be an of import symbol of the first Islamic settlement in Africa; today the oldest known Standard arabic inscription in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia and Eritrea is actually establish in Quiha, Enderta in Eastern Tigray and dates back to 972; studies tell united states that some of the Arabic inscriptions discovered in Enderta were brought to the Archeological Museum in Addis Ababa during the iind half of the twentythursday century. During this state of war the minaret of Al Nejashi Mosque was intentionally severely damaged; its dome partially collapsed and its façade was ruined. Civilians near the mosque were besides killed.
Photograph source: from BBC News
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church'southward historical influence on the state
Church and State have been closely connected throughout Ethiopian history, dating back to the fourth dimension of King Ezana of the Aksumite Empire who converted to Christianity c. CE325. The Church became more than ascendant in Ethiopian literature after the thirteenth century when the story of the Kǝbre Negest (lit. Glory of Kings), a textual masterpiece outlining the foundation of the Solomonic Dynasty, was produced.
While in that location is no current known record of Aksumite kings claiming to be direct descendants of the Biblical King Solomon, the narrative of Kǝbre Negest was instrumental in denouncing their predecessors, the Lasta/Agaw kings of the then called Zagwe Dynasty (mail Aksumite era that ended in the thirteenth century). The texts as well validated the Shewan Kings' claims to being direct descendants of the Aksumite legacy, which according to the Kǝbre Negest, was a part of the Solomonic line. While the intended purpose of the Kǝbre Negest is not nonetheless well understood, the thought that it documented a dynastic Solomonic purple entitlement through Aksum indicates an intention to claim historical legitimacy. The colophon of the manuscript reports that the Kǝbre Negest was composed by Nǝbure Id Yisḥaq of Aksum at the society of Ya'bike Egzi' and then governor of Enderta, Tigray. The Aksumite church of that time (late 13th-early 14thursday century) and their narrative values made their ain contribution to the authentication of the Aksumite claim. About importantly, the belief that the Ark of the Covenant is housed and protected in Aksum, was significant for the kings, and their claims to divine ordination. The Kǝbre Negest provided a strong legal foundation for the Church and the governing state, especially after the 14th century.
Even when medieval and modernistic Tigrayan nobles were perceived every bit competitors and threats by the Shewan kings, the Solomonic kings of Shewa persisted in glorifying their connection to Aksumite kings and the Ark of the covenant. Emperor Zara Yaqob (1434-68) introduced potent concepts of Mariology to the church building, and elements of that focus combined with the Ark of the Covenant became the anchor for the whole royal package. The xvthursday century was a gold age for Gǝʿǝz literature and hagiographic tradition across the whole of Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea. From this crucial menstruum onwards, the Ethiopian Judaio-Christian (Orthodox) belief is highly packed with folklore every bit the medieval oral and hagiographic traditions were influenced by myth and legend, which were instrumental for identity branding, power legitimacy and religious canonization. The existing folklore intermingled with a strong tradition that followed of manuscript production, translation and adoption mainly from Syriac and Arabic sources, and brought the discourses of eschatology and prophesy into the Ethiopian religious state. The intermingling of the virtually east, and its religious and diplomatic relation with the Ethiopian state was influential during the medieval fourth dimension. The Egyptian influence on the church has ever been present and all Ethiopian patriarchs were from Egypt until 23 April 1891 when the first Ethiopian Archbishop Abba Basilios was ordained.
When a revolutionary group of Tigrayan monks called the Stephanites (14thursday -15th cent.) led by their founder Estifanos, formed a movement against King Zara Yaqob's religious reforms, they were perceived as a real threat to King Zara Yaqob'southward power and he dealt very harshly with them. The Stephanites mainly rejected King Zara Yacob's excessive veneration of the cross, the festivals of St. Mary and the millenarian doctrine of Debre Ṣǝyon (lit. Mount Zion, Ethiopian eschatology). When they also strictly opposed the idea of bowing downwardly to a male monarch, Zara Yaqob characterized them as ፀረ ማርያም which literally translates to mean "enemies of Mary" in order to disassemble them from the Head of Churches and Monasteries in Aksum Tsion; he then massacred hundreds of them in broad daylight. Elements of their movement existed for one hundred years merely they were brutally hunted down and tortured, clearly to be made an example of. Interestingly, most of the monasteries in Tigray which are linked to the Stephanites are dedicated to St. Mary: Gunda Gundo Marya, Asira Metira Maryam, and Maryam Dibo are some of them. The monastery of Samuel Qoyetsa, a well-known monastery in Northwestern Tigray, named after Abba Samuel, the spiritual father of Estifanos, was attacked by the Ethiopian National Defence force Forces (ENDF) and the Amhara Forces (AF). Priests were massacred and its heritage looted. The nunnery and church of Asira Metira St. Mary in Eastern Tigray, one of the places where the Stephanites established their sect, was besides targeted and the church's heritage was looted. Monasteries with monks from the Stephanite tradition are renowned for their habit of doing good work. Asira Metira St. Mary is known to produce fruit, like oranges and apples. According to local reports, Eritrean soldiers destroyed some of their property.
The monastery of Samuel Qoyeṣa (Hagos Abrha Abay, 2017)
Modern Ethiopian kings and their chroniclers were frequently preoccupied with prophesy and myth. Emperor Tewodros II (1855- 1868) for example, who was known as a modernistic Ethiopian reformist, was also known to consider himself as the prophesied "King Tewodros", a rex written about in the Ge'ez prophetic literature as Fikare Iyesus, and told nearly in oral prophecies. The prophesied King Tewodros was expected to be a king who would peacefully rule all of Ethiopia for 40 years and would exist known every bit the "Lord of Peace". Emperor Tewodros II was far from peaceful, destroying and called-for many Christian churches because of the clergy's reluctance to approve of his reformation; and his 13-year reign was riddled with battles and conflict.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church's current political influence
Today, circuitous and bourgeois oral traditions and beliefs of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church are intermingled with the religion and politics that is nonetheless alive in Ethiopia. It seems that Federal democratic republic of ethiopia has encountered a miscarriage of social revolution and sidelined a real modernization procedure in the 20th century. There are many ordinary Ethiopians who are still waiting to see "The Lord of Peace" who volition dominion them for 40 years. Of form, it is easy to understand why a society fed up with a long history of civil wars would exist eager to run across a "Lord of Peace" and hence create a literary displacement foreshadowing stability. Even in the last decade there accept been elders, mostly monks and hermits, in unlike Ethiopian monasteries and deserts, who claim themselves to be, or use oracles to prophesy most, the coming of "Emperor Tewodros". xl years is a significant number associated with whatever narrative about the "Lord of Peace" in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia.
This is a expert moment to recapitulate some of the speeches of Ethiopia's current Nobel Peace Prize winning Prime Minister, who is drenched in blood. The day Abiy Ahmed came to power, he said that his mother had told him a prophecy that he would be the 7th Rex of Federal democratic republic of ethiopia. Of form, he would exist the 7th Ethiopian king/leader later Emperor Tewodros, merely nosotros are not certain what he meant by that. The Prime number Minister's political speeches frequently insinuate to Ethiopian Kings, he even deputed a new statue of Emperor Menelik Ii in his palace. From the very get-go Abiy Ahmed seemed intent on manipulating Amhara activists desiring to exist perceived as a male monarch. In Abiy Ahmed's recently released ten years' strategic programme he said they had "Non only a x-year plan, but also we have outlined a thirty years programme and in 2050 Ethiopian Agenda (2057) Ethiopia will be one of the most famous countries in the globe. There is likewise a plan that says, 'there will be 2 super-powers [in the world], 1 of them will be Ethiopia'. [Now] if we agree on the ten years' plan, we will discuss the thirty years' [another time]"; and here nosotros see that the idea of "forty years" is nowadays.
Afterward Abiy came to ability, there have been various fresh and complex stories of prophecy that should not be disregarded when seeking to understand Ethiopian politics. Amidst many other mysticisms, a book has been written in Amharic virtually a monk from Eastern Tigray chosen Abba Zewengel [Zäwängel] who is said to accept lived for more than than 610 years. He died on October 21st 2019, just after he finished overseeing the building of his beautiful new church building called Mesqele Kirstos (Cross of Christ) on the 30th of September 2019. Many Ethiopians had visited Abba Zewengel and consulted with him, relying on his wisdom and advice during the course of his lifetime. The Ethiopian Patriarch himself visited Abba Zewengel during the inauguration of the church, when it was named Debre Sina (lit. Mount Sinay). According to the book and related fragmented oral stories, later on iii years of hostility and brutality in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia, Abba Zewengel said: "The Lord of Peace" called Tewodros volition come up to power by 2015 EC (a year from at present in 2023) and will dominion Ethiopia peacefully from that church for the next forty years. The prophecy says in that location volition exist war and a plague in the whole world, and Federal democratic republic of ethiopia will become a global destination for displaced people. There are plenty of social media narratives circulating today that relate to this. Even the reluctance of some people to be vaccinated confronting Covid-19 has been twisted into this narrative. I myself for a moment wondered virtually the prophecy when at the kickoff of 2021 I met an American living at the same hotel as was I in Addis Ababa. He informed me that he came to Ethiopia, which he called a "globe destination," to escape the Covid vaccinations in the Usa. I am not sure whether he evacuated from Addis Ababa when many diplomats recently left the city, because of the war.
According to the pop, oral stories of Abba Zewengel (we are not even so sure if he is the source of his own stories after all), 2056 EC volition be the end of the peaceful life, the "False Messiah", and two super beasts who will come to fight each other in the earth. Is information technology not ironic then that Abba Zewengel's own church Mesqele Kirstos was shelled many times, and destroyed by Eritrean soldiers at the beginning of January 2021, for Prime Minister Abiy does not desire his 'monarchy' challenged by the prophesied "Lord of Peace." It is a paradox that Ethiopia is currently one of the most destabilized countries in the globe. Similar many other churches, Mesqele Kǝrstos Ma'abino was damaged on Ethiopia's Christmas Day; Mahibere Deqiqe Estifanos, source of the information, fabricated documentary film of information technology; nearly all its ancient artefacts, including manuscripts were damaged. This is a good example of how prophecies, apocalyptic stories and mysticism can exist instrumental in deceiving the community.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister and his assembly have been obsessed with Ethiopian public stance, which is strongly associated with religious apocalyptic narratives. This is a manipulative and deceptive approach to gain legitimacy in the eyes of both the Ethiopian church elites and feudal politicians. Together, the Prime Minister, his associates, the Ethiopian church building elite and the feudal politicians are influential in constructing and orchestrating messaging and propaganda in the Ethiopian media. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's advisor, Daniel Kibret, for example, is amongst the church deacons known to narrate deceptive stories, while lacing them with bigotry. His aggressive claims, which rely on the Aksumite legacy, with its powerful religious, historical and mystical heritage, continues to this day.
Fracture of church authorisation
In the traditional sense of Christianity in Ethiopia, almost believers rely on the practical deeds of their religious leaders and their confession fathers rather than on the scriptures. A priest in Tigray is multifunctional: a farmer, church retainer, manuscript producer, traditional school teacher, etc. Not but were they massacred; the farmlands they plough are soaked with claret; the churches they serve are damaged, the manuscripts they produce accept been looted or burned, the religious students they teach have been hunted down and murdered.
Many religious preachers, priests, and monks of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church participated in the brutalities in one or some other fashion. Hence, the tradition of fearing God, respecting elders, kissing the hands/crosses of the clergy, and trusting religious leaders has been challenged in Ethiopia and particularly in Tigray. It has resulted in cultural daze and may undermine or harm societal values. Hence, proactive rehabilitation is chosen for before the people of Tigray descend into a social and cultural collapse.
Already there are stories of women who were raped in front end of their parents, who have committed suicide. Women who have become pregnant later on being sexually driveling have suffered deep, life changing, psychological trauma. Many interethnic marriages (mainly Tigray and Amhra, who had good mutual co-existence) have been and then desperately damaged the couples have divorced. Families have suffered from serious social crises.
Tigrayan society is now immersed in low and frustration. They feel betrayed by both the state and the church. They have been denied recognition and justice from church leaders, federal representatives and from the global community.
Every bit stated earlier, Aksum Tsion is the head of the church; it is the source of church's law in Ethiopia, a holy city which is home to the Ark of the Covenant. More 45 thousand arks in Ethiopia (ane in the sanctuary of each church) are believed to be its replicas. The Ethiopian Patriarch is as the title of the Pope of Aksum. Yet the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) was silent when Aksum was disgraced; while Christian churches were destroyed, priests murdered and ecclesiastical materials and manuscripts burned and/or looted. Except for the Patriarch, Abune Mathias, who is originally from Tigray, none of the members of the church building council (synod) accept officially condemned the brutalities. The Ethiopian Patriarch remains censored and nether business firm arrest by the Ethiopian regime, which collaborates with some members of the EOTC.
Subsequently, the Tigray Orthodox Tewahido Church became discontented after the EOTC position was found to exist well below expectations. The Tigray Orthodox Tewahido Church Diocese stated its concerns, and issued press releases to complain to the EOTC many times. Finally, on seven January 2021, the International Orthodox Tewahido Church Association of Tigray Clergies sent an official alphabetic character to the EOTC in Addis Ababa announcing that the Tigray Church was severing its ties with the Ethiopian Church.
Destruction and theft of intangible Tigrayan heritage
In modern Federal democratic republic of ethiopia, there have ever been disputes over the values ascribed to the cultural and historical objects and behavior of different identities and political groups. This is specially true between Tigray in the north and the Amhara in the middle of the country. Throughout the land, there is also strong competition. Each grouping claims to accept the best, the first, the oldest of everything. This sometimes becomes xenophobic, not only amongst Ethiopia's nations states, only besides for many Ethiopian'south perceptions of their superiority in global esteem and importance.
It is of import to understand that at that place is a tradition of moving both tangible and intangible objects of cultural significance into the center of the country. This has been a common phenomenon which long predates the current state of war. There are various royal artifacts and ecclesiastical material which have been removed from Tigray, and rehoused in areas of the Amhara Region or Addis Ababa. The Museum of Entoto St. Mary Church is a good example of this. Several ancient royal objects were taken from Aksum. At that place is a growing tendency to call this church the "Head of Churches and Monasteries" and demonstrates the trend of shifting Aksum Tsion's position away from its historical home and to central Federal democratic republic of ethiopia. Irrespective of the displacement of cultural artifacts and the baloney of oral narratives of Aksumite values, the Aksumite Empire and its historical significance in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is a well-established concept. It has, furthermore, remained popularly unchallenged considering of the real physical existence of buildings and statues, the written testify, both in manuscripts and inscriptions, which has made it difficult to change the historical narrative, despite media manipulation. The Ethiopian government'south objective appears to be the physical destruction of this heritage and the fabric documentation that supports it. Every attempt is being made to eradicate the vital historical record that makes Tigray central to Federal democratic republic of ethiopia's spiritual and emotional life.
Ashenda (Tigray women's festival) is a long-celebrated folkloric and religious tradition in Tigray, in some parts of Eritrea, and some Agaw areas. It is one of the near colorful events of social performing folk arts that lasts for two weeks starting every August 22. Information technology is a beautiful, multigenerational celebration with dancing and singing and it is considered to exist the 'Day of Freedom' for Tigrayan women. Almost a decade ago, the Ethiopian government took the initiative to register Ashenda as one of UNESCO's world cultural heritages. Every bit shortly as this began, officials of Tigray and Amhara Civilisation and Tourism Bureaus, nether intense pressure level from political activists, engaged in a complicated conspiracy to try to have buying of the festival. This festival had never been celebrated in a fundamental Amhara in the past. Despite this, Ashenda was historic in August 2018 in Amhara's capital letter city, Bahirdar. This was the very get-go fourth dimension information technology happened, and plain the terminal; it was mostly believed to aimed at foregrounding Ashenda in Amhara for the registration only. There was, furthermore, a movement cultivated and strengthened by the Federal Government and Amhara politicians to call this festival the "Ethiopian Women'due south Festival," rather than "Ashenda" its accurate, historically correct proper noun, during the registration process. This was intentional; an attempt to disassociate the festival from Tigray. While the application for registration was existence candy, the Ethiopian regime officially suspended information technology at the end of 2021. Ashenda itself, as information technology is celebrated in Tigray, is office of the intangible heritages of Tigray, which has been damaged during the war. Far from celebrating freedom, the disharmonize has denied Tigrayan women their freedom; has starved them and left tens of thousands sexually driveling. Tigray health facilities reported i,288 cases of gender-based violence during Feb to April 2021 lone: hence the Ashenda festival of 2021 was a day of lamentations.
Mahlete Gumaye, is named after the colorful folksong of the people of s and southeastern Tigray (especially in Rayya, Wejjerat and Enderta areas). It is an adventure, held most years, which involves a bout and gathering to celebrate folk-art in Awdewur. This is an area of jungle in the wilderness betwixt Rayya and Wejjerat. Information technology includes folksongs, oral poems, tales and legends and is accompanied by civilization performances. Dibarte, is an ancient tradition involving women approval villagers and is integral to Mahlete Gumaye. The women themselves are chosen after the do: "Dibarte". The etymologically of this term has not been thoroughly studied but relates to driving out a spiritual ability. The origins of Mahlete Gumaye comes from a desire to preserve endangered cultural values. The psycho-social problems of individuals are released in this isolated setting or "retreat". Awdewur was attacked by drones early in the state of war, plain targeting militia. I was there on 17th November 2020, a few days after the drone assail. Information technology was besides the location of one of the bitter battles for control of Tigray which occurred in the middle of November 2020, before ENDF forces took command of Mekelle. Both the identify of the cult and its intangible values were vandalized; Mahilete Gumaye did not accept place in 2021. Instead, it was celebrated in Frankfurt (Germany) – equally a means of commemorating this important element of Tigrayan culture. But Awdewur itself is at present a place of depression and pathos.
St. Yared of Aksum, a famous saint known for his role in Ethiopic musical compositions and notations with well-established oral and hagiographic tradition in Tigray, is facing a similar fate. Powerful figures now merits that he was really non from Aksum but originally from Gonder in the Amhara region. Saint Yared is said to have lived at the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th century when the Nine Saints, the Byzantine Roman monks, came to Aksum. Today there is a plan to construct a new church building dedicated to Saint Yared in the Amhara region.
Al-Nejash is the site of the start known Islamic settlement in Africa, and is a significant historical site in Tigray. I may ask why a huge mosque named later on Al-Nejash is under structure in Addis Ababa, rather than in Tigray.
An intentional and systematic minimizing of Tigrayans in the annual celebration of the battle of Adwa, disregarding their all-encompassing contributions to the anti-colonial war, which was fought in fundamental Tigray, is function of the same agenda. There are many other examples of attempts to erode and minimize Tigray'southward role in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia's long and important heritage; to replace it with an alternative narrative based on a central Ethiopian version of events, with Aksumite values. Equally political tensions increased, the region's invaders took out their frustrations on Tigray's cultural heritage, which they have plundered or destroyed. The region, Ethiopia and humanity as a whole, has suffered the consequences.
A civilisation, a heritage, people under attack
Too the man carnage, icons of Tigray's heritage have been intentionally targeted. The devastation of its intangible heritage and a widespread and intentional violation of values has aggravated the brutality. Social norms have been transgressed without hesitation. Older women and petty girls – without regard for their age – were raped in front end of their relatives. And then too were nuns and the wives of priests. Soldiers interrupted church services to intimidate, abuse and impale members of the clergy. Places of spiritual healing, similar holy water springs and supplication settings, were demolished.
Churches and monasteries which were historically used as places of asylums and refuge during conflicts, and were fifty-fifty believed to be endowed with a spiritual power to protect those seeking a oasis, became hunting grounds where Tigrayans families could detect no refuge. The sanctuaries themselves were destroyed.
This has led to doubt and defoliation about the norms and beliefs of the society. It has fifty-fifty led many people to feel that they can no longer even pray. The aggressors accept not just prevented Tigrayans from communicating with the international community, just they have also prevented many Tigrayans from seeking solace from their God, at this critical time.
Dr. Hagos Abrha Abay is a Postdoctoral young man at CSMC, Universität Hamburg and a founder and member of St. Yared Center for Ethiopian Philology and Manuscript Studies (SYCEPMS), Mekelle University. An earlier version of this chapter was presented to the European Parliament, which is planning to publish it. This commodity represents the views of Dr Hagos, and does non represent the views of whatever group or establishment.
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Source: https://eritreahub.org/first-comprehensive-analysis-of-the-looting-of-tigrays-heritage-as-ebay-halts-sale-of-ethiopian-treasures
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