Tabots are replicas of the Ark of the Covenant that are sacred in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one of the world’s oldest churches. “We have started negotiations with the British Museum to bring back 12 tabots,” said Teferi.

But the work is far from over, officials said. They were returned to Addis Ababa this weekend and will go on display in Ethiopian museums. Several of the objects were acquired by The Scheherazade Foundation, a cultural nonprofit, and handed to the Ethiopian embassy in September.

“We couldn’t manage to bring back all of them, but this is the first time in the country’s history to bring back looted artefacts in this quantity.” “There are many artefacts that were looted from Maqdala,” said Teferi Meles, Ethiopia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, where many of the treasures were. Some of the objects had been offered in an auction in Britain in June by a private seller descended from a British soldier who fought in Maqdala. These artefacts were taken in 1868 after the battle of Maqdala between the British and Ethiopian empires. The items, which include an intricately latticed processional cross, a richly coloured triptych depicting Jesus’ crucifixion, and an ornate red and brass imperial shield, are part of the largest act of restitution in Ethiopia’s history, officials said. “Our country’s ancient civilization’s history, artefacts, fingerprints of indigenous knowledge, culture … have been looted in war and smuggled out illegally,” said Ethiopia’s tourism minister, Nasise Challa. Ethiopia's ambassador to the United Kingdom Teferi Meles said: 'We couldn’t manage to bring back all of them, but this is the first time in the country’s history to bring back looted artefacts in this quantity.' (Photo: Embassy of Ethiopia, London)Īfter a century and a half, Ethiopian artefacts return homeĪDDIS ABABA – After a century and a half hidden in private collections, 13 stolen Ethiopian artefacts have finally returned home following months of negotiations. The return of some of the many looted treasures is being called the most important heritage restitution in Ethiopia’s history.

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