Four years ago, the Italian government signed an agreement with the Ethiopia for return of the Aksum obelisk. The obelisk has been in Rome since 1937. The funeral stele, weighing 160 tonnes and standing 24 meters high, is around 1,700 years old and has become a symbol of Ethiopian people’s identity.
01/07/2008 ::
The first phase of the re-installation of the Aksum obelisk has already been successfully completed. The returning of the obelisk is in accordance with the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The first of three blocks of the stele was smoothly mounted earlier this month.
The Aksum Obelisk re-erection project is funded by the Italian Government and conducted by UNESCO contractor Croci Associati, who is using an innovative high-technology approach. It implementation represents a technical feat of colossal scale. The mounting of the first block is an extremely important step in order to avoid any risks for the monument.
The remaining two blocks will be reinstalled from 16 to 31 July 2008, one year after the start of this exceptional project.
Seiom Bereded, Head of the Millennium Committee, was very enthusiastic about the finalization of the re-erection of the Aksum Obelisk.
-We will organize a big celebration by the end of the Millennium year, said Ato Seiom Bereded under his visit to Aksum last weekend.
He was there with a delegation in order to prepare for this event, which will take place in August/September this year. High-level officials from Italy will participate on these celebrations.
Rosalind Møyholm