Project status:
Current
Lead organisation:
Partners:
Bahir Dar University will be running the project in partnership with Amhara National Regional State Culture and Tourism Bureau and Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage.
Grant award:
£99,989.17
Project summary:
Ge’ez – the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church – is a language only fluently used by a small number of priests in some war-affected regions of Ethiopia.
In North Gondor and North and South Wollo, the birthplace of the Orthodox Church, the contents of Ge'ez manuscripts containing gospels, hymns, civil law, patristic literature, medicine, magic, astronomy and bibles have been looted and damaged due to ongoing conflict.
Priests living in these regions are the only people who know how to preserve these precious manuscripts and repair them properly from damage. Due to the ageing priest population, there is an urgent need to pass on their specialist skill sets to future generations.
This project focuses on the restoration and conservation of 17 manuscripts from South and North Wollo and 23 manuscripts from North Gondor.
A baseline study will be conducted and the project team will work on conserving manuscript preparation knowledge through providing intergenerational training and workshops in conservation and restoration for the local community.
Elders will use their expertise to train younger locals and training materials will be created through the project for future use, so the local community will be able to document the history of their heritage.
