Association For the Return of the Magdala Ethiopian Treasures facts for kids
| Type | Legal Society |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Location |
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| Website | http://www.afromet.org/ |
AFROMET stands for the Association For the Return of the Magdala Ethiopian Treasures. It is an organization that works to bring back valuable historical items to Ethiopia. These items were taken from Ethiopia a long time ago. AFROMET uses legal methods and public awareness to achieve its goal.
Contents
The Story of the Magdala Treasures
How the Treasures Were Taken
In 1868, a big event called the Battle of Magdala happened. British forces won this battle. After their victory, they took many valuable things from the city of Maqdala. They also took items from the Ethiopian Christian church of Medhane Alem.
These items included many books and old artifacts. According to a writer named Henry M. Stanley, there were "an infinite variety of gold, and silver and brass crosses." There were also "heaps of parchment royally illuminated," which means many beautifully decorated old books.
It took a lot of effort to move all these treasures. Fifteen elephants and almost 200 mules were needed. They carried the items to a nearby plain to be sold. A man named Richard Holmes, who worked at the British Museum, bought 350 old books. He also bought other important items, like the crown of the Abuna, who is the head of the Ethiopian Church.
Where Are the Treasures Now?
Many of these treasures are still missing today. However, some are known to be in public collections. For example, the British Museum holds some of them. A book in the Bodleian Library even has a note saying it was "taken from a church at Maqdala in 1868."
Why Returning Items Became Important
Over time, countries around the world started to agree that taking items during wars, known as looting, was wrong. This idea was made official in agreements like the Fourth Geneva Convention. But what about items taken before these rules existed?
This question led to efforts around the world to return cultural items. AFROMET is one of these groups. It works specifically to bring back Ethiopia's lost treasures.
Efforts to Bring Them Back
Early Attempts to Return Items
The Ethiopian government began asking for the return of the looted items very soon after the battle. This was within three years. They had some small successes, but overall, progress was slow.
Lady Valerie Meux wanted to give her collection of Ethiopian books back to Emperor Menilek II. However, her wishes were changed after she died in 1910. The reason given was that Emperor Menilek was supposedly dead, which was not true. He actually died in 1913.
Items Returned by the British Government
The British Government has occasionally returned some of the looted items. In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II gave back two important items. These were the royal cap and the seal of Emperor Tewodros II. She returned them to Emperor Haile Selassie I.
AFROMET's Work Today
AFROMET was created to work in a more organized way. Its goal is to systematically lobby for the return of these objects. They use legal methods and public pressure to achieve this.
So far, 10 items have been returned by private people who owned them. These include a hand-written Book of Psalms, two Tabots (holy altars), and a shield. AFROMET is still working to get more than 460 other items returned to Ethiopia.
See Also
