The Dessie Museum triumphantly reopened this year after closing due to damage as a result of conflict and climate change in northern Ethiopia. The reopening marks a new chapter for the Dessie Museum as a hub for cultural preservation, education, and tourism development.
‘During the war, the museum was in a heartbreaking situation. Even if the museum was not a place for politics, it was targeted and then attacked,’ remembers Dr Fentaw Hussen at Wollo University.
Located in the old city of Dessie, the Dessie Museum promotes the rich cultural heritage of the Wollo community in the Amhara region. As the only historical museum in the city, it was at risk of further physical damage and neglect after being vandalised and looted.
Support from the Cultural Protection Fund has facilitated the restoration and reopening of the Dessie Museum. The renovation project was led by the Ethiopian Heritage Trust in collaboration with the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, Amhara Regional State Culture and Tourism Bureau, Amhara Regional State Economy and Finance Bureau, Dessie Town Culture and Tourism Office, and Wollo University.
Through collaboration, the project overcame challenges which included security risks and sourcing indigenous timber – such as Juniperus procera (የሐበሻ ጥድ) - that was essential for maintaining the original features of the building.
Their work has led to:
- Greening measures and renovation works that enhanced both the security and visitor experience
- Delivering heritage protection training to 230 local people, staff, and volunteers
- The establishment of four Heritage Clubs that worked with 240 students and ten teachers on conservation and returning wartime plundered heritage to the Dessie Museum
- New policies on ensuring sustainable maintenance of the museum facilities and its collections.
The Dessie Museum officially reopened on 31 May 2025, with the celebration of the 48th International Museum Day. Its inauguration ceremony had over 200 in attendance, a guided city tour, and two special exhibitions which showcased Ethiopia as the origin of humankind. These exhibitions drew over 2,300 visitors who came to see casts of Lucy (a 3.18-million-year-old fossil of Australopithecus afarensis) and Selam - one of the most complete remains of a human ancestor from 3.3 million years ago.
With funding from CPF until 2026, Ethiopian Heritage Trust is able to continue working with the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, Amhara Culture and Tourism Bureau, Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority to collect new specimens, launch a new website, reorganise museum collections, and organise an international conference on lessons learnt in heritage conservation and renovation in war-affected areas.
Visit Ethiopian Heritage Trust’s website for more information as the project develops.
