First part of obelisk returns to Ethiopia

Axum, Ethiopia (AP) A cargo plane delivered the first piece of a giant, 1,700-year-old granite obelisk to Ethiopia yesterday, 68 years after Italian troops looted it from Ethiopia and after decades of demands and promises for its return.

The middle section of the 24-metre high funeral stone taken in 1937 on the orders of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, was flown into northern Ethiopia at sunrise on a giant Antonov 124 cargo plane. The 53-ton piece was placed under armed guard at the airport until the two remaining pieces are flown to Axum from Rome later this month.

Pealing bells and chanting priests from the dome-shaped St Mariam Cathedral greeted the first piece of the monolith, which predates the arrival of Christianity in Ethiopia.

"This is an historic moment for all Ethiopians," said Minister of Culture Teshome Toga, who received the granite monument that once symbolised one of the most powerful kingdoms on earth, the Axumite Kingdom. "We have waited so long for this."

The Axumite Kingdom was established between 200 and 100 BC.

The legendary Queen of Sheba reigned in the region eight or nine centuries earlier, and the Old Testament tells the tale of her journey to King Solomon's court in 980 BC with 700 camels loaded with gold, ivory and other gifts.

Her bathing pool and substantial remains of her palace can still be found in Axum.

Axum was the capital of the powerful, pre-Christian Axum Empire that stretched into parts of the Arabian peninsula. Legend has it that Axum was also the final resting palace of the Ark of the Covenant.

Massive obelisks are among a few tangible remains of the past glory of Axum, an area lying in the shadow of the Adwa Mountains where Emperor Menelik II defeated the Italians in 1896 the greatest modern victory of an African army over a European force.

"The obelisk is a symbol of pride, of civilisation and part of the Ethiopian identity," archaeologist Teckle Hargos said.

When it was removed, the obelisk was in fragments, having been toppled during a sixteenth-century Muslim rebellion. The weight of the fragments pushed the limits of military vehicles and makeshift roads and bridges built by the Italians. Once in Rome, it was restored with metal rods embedded in concrete, making it difficult to disassemble.

The obelisk was dismantled at the end of 2003 from where it stood near the Circus Maximus in central Rome.

Ethiopians hope the return of the obelisk, which is carved on all sides with windows and doors, will highlight the rich historical heritage in the only African nation that European powers failed to colonise. Italy occupied Ethiopia from 1936-1941, but it was never a colony.

FACTFILE
National treasure

- Reuters