On Thursday, September 15, 1994 (September 5, 1987, of the EC) it was observed that some of the precious objects from the rich collection of Cheleqot Debre Mihret Sillasie were stolen. It was a mysterious mission because the key was not broken while the objects were missing. The Gebez (Protectorate) was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison for negligence or conspiring not clear now. The objects that were lost on the same day include two liturgical crowns, one rectangular base and another circular, golden cross, gold-covered gospel and golden cup with an image of Saint George.
After 25 years of the disappearance of these articles, a similar kind of the rectangular crown was seen on a news from the Netherlands, stating Ethiopian descent Dutch-citizen Sirak Asfaw has kept it for long and wants to return it. He has given minor details on how he acquired the object for 21 years. This is probably to avoid the risk of prosecution of the person who smuggled this article in the first place.
However, the most important thing is that Mr. Sirak is willing to return the crown to the owners and he should be thanked for that. The reason provided for the delayed announcement of his possession of this object was more political that he had no confidence in the regime that stayed in power.
Crowns from Axum Tsion Church Collection
These types of crowns with a rectangular base with engravings of 12 apostles and Jesus are called Zewdi . These are liturgical crowns used by priests only according to the church head. The circular-shaped crowns, of which one is still missing, can be worn by deacons during religious ceremonies. There only exist half a dozen of these crowns and they have never been reported to exist except in Cheleqot Sellassie and Axum Tsion Churches.
Collection of the Crowns at Cheleqot Sellassie Debre Mihret Church.
Due to the similar nature of the crown, they have probably been casted by the same artisan at the same time during the end of the 18th century or beginning of the 19th century. These are believed to be donated by medieval rulers notably Rass Woldesillasie.
Cheleqot is a small town in the outskirt of Mekelle with a rich history. It was a seat of the powerful warlord and kingmaker of the early nineteenth century Rass Woldesillasie. He built many structures in the town including the Debre Mihret Sillasie church. Even after the church was burnt down by lightning, he commissioned the reconstruction of the church with unique circular wooden architecture. The collections of Cheleqot church are rich from a series of donations starting from Emperor Tekle Giyorgis, Rass Woldesillasie, Rass Araya Dimtsu, Emperor Yohannes IV, Emperor Minilik II etc.
The town has also suffered from regional armed conflicts and natural disasters lately. It is important to note that regardless of these atrocities, the guardian of the church in consecutive generations have paid a high price to protect those heritages. Some of the important books like ‘Haimanote Abew’ (Litt. Religion of Ancestors) that state the detailed account of theological debate from the 4th Century and many other courts and liturgical objects still exist in the church collection. Mekelle University and Tigray Bureau of Culture and Tourism have been working on building a museum to host those valuable articles.
The crown which is now resurfaced in the Netherlands is most definitely the one which was sadly stolen from Cheleqot Debre Mihret Sillasie in 1994. Due to the following three reasons, the crown should be reinstated to its organic location.
The crown is supposed to be used in the religious celebration of the holy trinity day every year. During the day and other times of the mass ceremony, an important prayer and praise of individuals who donated and supported the church in its history are conducted. Dislocation of the crown to other places, for example, the national museum has direct effects on the religious, and intangible heritage of the area.
Due to the construction of the new museum and the alert from the bad experience the church and the surrounding population are in better condition to protect its heritage property. There also exist traditional safeguarding practices of the church and population in times of hardship.
The reinstatement of the crown to its original place has a better advantage for comparative study with other existing crowns. The study of the crown within its natural context gives a meaningful output because it is one element within the rich collection of Cheleqot which will help to understand the complex history and heritage (tangible and intangible) of the people.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition February 23/2020
BY ALULA TESFAY ASFHA
