Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Brief reflections on my trip to Ethiopia

Ethiopia, Egypt and Morroco are history in a sense you do not
find/feel elsewhere on the continent. Was there for a week this past
February after an eleven year lapse.

Next time you visit make sure you pay attention to/and try to collect
the ethiopian crucifix--the christian cross! Their shapes and sizes
are different corresponding to specific localities and the precise
time they embraced christianity.

Also note that the Northern part, which you seem to have spend time,
is actually the base and heartland of what passes as ethiopian
civilization. The Southern part was only brought in the fold in under
Menelik, whose museum is a place to visit when next you are there. The
current head of state is from the south;the first non-northerner to
ever hold the position.

Lastly the census on religious affiliation is official. Several
ethiopians have told me that there are more muslims than christians.

In ethiopia the imperial state is still alive even as it is touted as
a developmental state sans imperial foundation!

==========================

On 4/4/13, Emeagwali, Gloria (History) <emeagwali@mail.ccsu.edu> wrote:
> After 16 hours in the plane from New York and two hours in Dubai,
> I landed in Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. This was my third
> visit to Ethiopia
> but by the end of the trip I knew that I would make many more visits
>
> Ethiopia is truly a center of African Civilization in terms of the
> diversity of African peoples.Whether you are
> from South Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Jamaica, T&T, or Barbados,
> you will find someone who looks like you.
>
> Because I am a historian and passionately interested in ancient African
> Civilization I made a dash to the historical sites.
>
> There are numerous sites but this time around I decided to focus on sites
> in Yeha and Axum in Northern Ethiopia.
> The last time I visited Ethiopia, I focused intensely on Lalibela and
> Gondar. They are all astounding.
>
> There are now new dates for the construction of the Yeha temple and nearby
> palace as a result of some
> discoveries this year.They go back as early as 1000 BC or 3000 years ago.
> They are huge structures.
> The palace contained over 15 rooms. The temple about ten. I also got to see
> the palace of Queen Makeda
> (Queen of Ethiopia and Sheba) that was discovered in 2003.
>
> They recently found some charcoal and ibex remains on the site, that date
> to about 1000BC.The ibex is found only
> in Ethiopia, apparently. I saw a lot of depictions of this animal in a
> decorative style at the Yeha palace.
>
> I was able to see some manuscripts from about the 17th century all depicting
> the Virgin Mary and Christ as Black people,
> while I was at Yeha. At Axum I was reminded that Balthazar, one of the three
> wise men was from Axum. I bought
> some frankincense in Axum- and thought about his alleged gift of
> frankincense 2000 years ago.
>
> About 40% of Ethiopia is Muslim; 40% Christian; 20% polytheist and atheist.
> These figures are approximate and
> subject to correction. A Muslim Imam in the bus that I took to Axum told me
> that, not too far away from Mekelle,
> Prophet Mohammed was buried. I told him that was not true as far as I
> knew. He finally conceded that the person
> buried there was a name sake who was one of the early converts to the
> religion.He reminded me thast the fourth holiest
> place for Muslims is located in Ethiopia in the vicinity of Hadar. I knew
> that was quite true and related to the fact that
> Ethiopian Emperor Armah 11 (615-30AD), hosted about 100 believers of the
> new religion as they fled from persecution in Arabia.
>
> I have to go back to Ethiopia soon. I want to visit the place where the
> 3.2million old skeletal remains of Dinknesh alias
> Lucy was found, in the Afar region- and see the sculptured churches
> outside the town of Mekelle that go back to
> the 5th century AD - earlier than those fascinating sculptured churches of
> Lalibela, dated13th century AD.
>
> There are about 500 sculptured churches in Ethiopia, sculptured from the
> mountains and rocky terrain. I used to think that there
> were 300 but I was told that new ones have been found. You have to see
> them to believe. They truly are among the wonders of the world.
> I gave two well attended public lectures in two different parts of the
> country at the National Museum of Ethiopia and at Mekelle University.
>
> I acknowledge the assistance of Professor Ayele Bekerie of Mekelle
> University in facilitating this visit.
>
> I shall bring out a few films from the visit in due course and as you know
> my videos are entirely free for individuals around the world
> to look at- once you have access to a powerful enough computer.
>
>
> Professor Gloria Emeagwali
> africahistory.net
> vimeo.com/user5946750/videos
> Documentaries on Africa and the African Diaspora
>
>
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