ADDIS ABABA – When it comes to promoting home-grown scholars and heroes, universities are charged with lofty responsibilities and they are expected to do more, Mekele University said.
The university has been building the statue of the great Ethiopian musical genius and scholar St Yared at the old historical town of Axum.
Tsige Berhe, Director for the Institute of Paleo Environment and Heritage Conservation under the university told The Ethiopian Herald that the University has three main responsibilities, teaching& learning, conducting research and seeing to community services. The organization also gives emphasis and works on heritages.
So St. Yared is one of a well-known Ethiopian scholars who had given lots for his country, there is a need to build his statue to commemorate his works and to transfer his legacy to generation to come as a responsible organization. The community has stressed the need to honor St Yared. So the university has taken the initiative to craft and erect a statue, he noted.
As to him, the statue has been built in Axum town. More than 70 percent of the work has been finalized and it will be unveiled to be one of the country’s tourism jewels.
“We Ethiopians make lots of history but we are remiss in honoring our heroes. St. Yared did share his merit to his country as well as the rest of Africa and the world. He was a composer, author, and chorographer. So this movement will help the generation to commemorate him and follow his footsteps,” he said.
The other advantage of the statue is to be a tourist attraction and a bright hue on the color spectrum of the historical town Axum. As the saint was a public figure, lots of peoples will come to visit his statue. Therefore it can add something for the tourism economy. The community there has also been very egger to see and enjoy the statue soon, he added.
“The university has been working putting focus on heritages as the country is wealthy in tangible and intangible heritages and history. So, we are responsible to document, conserve and promote this golden history. Not only St Yared we have lots of giants in history so we will continue to promote them down the road,” he added.
Tsige said, the University is also ready and working with the community to protect and promote especially historical places and churches.
“The scholars we learn in the history books are like fountains of wisdom,” he said. Adding he noted, universities are responsible for the documentation of their historical job and they need to transfer their knowledge for the generation to come. There are lots of scholars and historical persons in the country, more jobs are needed to document, promote and transfer them for generations. If this task is accomplished, the country will use it for tourism sector and develop the economy.
Saint Yared, who was born in Aksum city on 25 April 505 A.D, was a legendary musician from the Axum, Tigray and Ethiopia. He is credited for inventing the sacred Tradition music of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
The Ethiopian Herald May 2/2020
BY GENET FEKADE
