AFROMET 01 December 03

AFROMET sent the following letter to the University of Edinburgh Library, asking for the return of three Maqdala manuscripts.

Mr John Scally,
Director of University Collections,
University of Edinburgh Library,
George Square,
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ.

1st December, 2003

Dear Mr Scally,

You may have read in the press that growing Ethiopian consciousness of the country's unique history and culture has given rise to increasing awareness of the extent to which the country was forcibly, and, as Ethiopians hold, wrongfully, deprived of irreplaceable antiquities during the last century or so.

Major looting occurred both at the time of the British Expedition to Magdala (Maqdala) in 1868, and during the more recent Italian Fascist occupation of 1935-1941, when a giant 25 metre high obelisk from the ancient Ethiopian city of Aksum was taken to Rome on Mussolini's personal orders in 1937. I may add that the Italian Government has recognised the validity of the case for restitution, and this obelisk is currently being dismantled prior to its restoration to Ethiopia, expected early in 2004.

To return to Magdala, its seizure by British troops was followed by extensive looting of Emperor Tewodros's palace and the nearby church of Medhane Alam, dedicated to the Saviour of the World: an act of sacrilege which resulted in the transportation to Britain of around 500 manuscripts, as well two crowns, one made of gold, the other gilt, many processional and hand crosses and other valuable artifacts. This considerable loot is discussed in AFROMET's submission to the British House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee's Seventh Report entitled Cultural Property: Return and Illicit Trade (2003), pp. 353-8.

Increasing Ethiopian consciousness of the extent of the loot from Magdala, which had of course no justification in international law, led to the founding in Ethiopia in 1990 of AFROMET, the Association for the Return of Maqdala Ethiopian Treasures. Its appeal for the return of Ethiopian artifacts unjustly taken from Ethiopia has evoked considerable support in Britain where a UK branch of AFROMET has been formed, and where a number of articles have already been restored. You will doubtless have heard of the discovery of a Tabot, or altar slab, in the Episcopal Church of St.John, which was duly returned to Ethiopia. When it reached Addis Ababa by 'plane a good proportion of the city's population came out to welcome it.

It has come to the attention of AFROMET that your esteemed Library is in possession of some of the Ge'ez, or Ethiopic, manuscripts looted from Magdala. We feel that Edinburgh University Library would agree with us that this is an unfortunate state of affairs. We would therefore ask you to consider whether it would not be appropriate for such manuscripts to be returned to their country of origin: Ethiopia.

Looking forward to your sympathetic response.

Yours Sincerely,

Richard Pankhurst,
Vice-Chair, AFROMET

Press coverage

Uni urged to give back manuscripts
Edinburgh University Student Newspaper 03/12/03

University faces call to return loot to Ethiopia
The Herald 28/11/03

Ethiopians say looted scriptures must be given back
The Times 28/11/03

Call for return of 'looted' relics
Edinburgh Evening News 27/11/03