In addition to renovation activities, ARCCH will undertake heritage inventory and registration work this fiscal year so as to preserve, promote and renovate ancient artifacts
By Tsegay Hagos (The Ethiopian Herald)
Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) will renovate UNESCO registered heritages of Ethiopia this fiscal year.
The Authority has secured a 400,000 USD donation from the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa besides its allocation of 30 million Birr to the renovation, Hailu Zeleke, Cultural Heritage Conservation Director with ARCCH discloses to The Ethiopian Herald.
“The budget will be sliced to carry out the task to movable and immovable heritages in Aksum (Axum), Lalibela, Gondar, Tiya and Harar.”
In the previous fiscal year, ARCCH focused mainly on refurbishing rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, particularly Bete Golgotha and Bete Gebriel Churches, he indicates.
The century old Abadir School and Lij Iyasu’s house—both found in Harar—Tiya, archeological site in Gurage zone, are also among the so far the renovated heritages.
This fiscal year, wide-ranging renovation works will be carried out in Axum both to the obelisks and ancient royal tombs.
The cables on the stelae returned from Rome and re-erected in Axum will be removed. And its foundation will be strengthened.
Similarly, Fasilides palace in Gondar is included in the renovation plan.
“When we refurbish the heritages, a great care is given to retain the originality of the artifacts as much as we can. To attain this, we have hired experienced consultants.”
The Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development (EiABC) of Addis Ababa University has finalized a project study enables to restore other heritages.
In a related news, Authority’s Cultural Heritage Inventory and Inspection Director Desalegn Abebaw notes that heritage inventory and registration work will be undertaken this fiscal year so as to preserve, promote and renovate ancient artifacts.
The move will help facilitate the provision of touristic information and evaluation of the status of artifacts, he says, adding that it also fosters the allocation of the required resources to preserve and conserve ancient artifacts.
He also calls on individuals and religious institutions to hand over any ancient artifact that is in their possession to the Authority.
Source: The Ethiopian Herald
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