Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia: A Guide to the Remote Churches of an Ancient Land
Ethiopia is a land of hidden treasures, and among the greatest are its remote churches, whose richly decorated interiors amaze and astound with their vibrant colours and extraordinary illustration. Yet steeped in ancient legend, and often situated in remote locations, a true appreciation and understanding of these unique churches and their spectacular murals has been restricted to a select few. Now, in Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia, Maria-Jose Friedlander provides a unique guide to the churches, their architecture and decoration. Ranging from the rock-hewn churches of the Tigray region to the spectacular timber-built cave church of Yemrehane Krestos, Maria-Jose Friedlander provides detailed descriptions of the wonderful murals and of the stories behind them. Many of the wall paintings contain inscriptions in Ge’ez – the ancient language of Ethiopia – and full translations of these scripts are given. Detailed plans show the exact location of the paintings within the churches and the superb colour photographs by Bob Friedlander show the many aspects of the churches and their decoration in rich detail.
About the Author
Bob Friedlander studied engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge and was a managing director with the Ford.
ISPOORTII
As much as I am proud of Ethiopia’s historical artefacts, I think Ethiopia’s greater treasure is not hidden in the historical churches, their architecture and decoration. I would argue Ethiopia’s greater treasure is hidden in its people alive today, particularly the young people. Peoples’ talent, dreams, ideas and visions is the enormous wealth is hidden. For many years, we have been told about the value of historical artefacts but the contribution of the income coming out of it has been extremely tiny. I think we need a change of mind-set about this issue. We don’t eat history. We should focus on what matters most. We need something which generates income, employment and better future of the people. I think that is policies which unleash the potential Ethiopia rich human talent.