Inauguration of Aksum Obelisk

• © UNESCO

The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura has welcomed the reinstallation of the Aksum obelisk in northern Ethiopia: “I am very happy that the re-erection of the Aksum obelisk in its original location was initiated on the eve of the Ethiopian Millennium, as a result of the joint efforts of the Italian and Ethiopian Governments to honour this ancient symbol of Ethiopian identity. Thanks to the generous support of the Italian Government, UNESCO has been implementing the necessary on-site archaeological and technical work.”

Commenting the significance of cultural heritage preservation, Mr Matsuura went on to highlight the “potential of culture as a vector of identity and social cohesion and hence an indispensable tool for development. In today's globalized world, it is all the more urgent to reinforce culture's role as a driving force for sustainable development,
social cohesion and peace,” he said.

During the official inauguration ceremony of the obelisk in Aksum on 4 September, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, Françoise Rivière, said that “the reinstallation of the Aksum Obelisk is a source of pride for UNESCO. It is a technical achievement but it is also a source of pride because it shows that cultural heritage can be a true instrument for reconciliation,” Ms Rivière explained.

Taken to Rome by the troops of Mussolini in 1937, the Obelisk was shipped back to Ethiopia in April 2005 by Italy, which funded the operation. The third and last block of the Aksum Obelisk was successfully mounted by a team of experts led by UNESCO on 31 July.

Weighing 150 tons, the 24-metre high monument is the second largest stele on the Aksum World Heritage site close to the border with Eritrea.

Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, also attended the ceremony pointing out that cooperation between UNESCO and Ethiopia would continue over this project: “We need to reinforce the management of the site and we need to train conservation professionals,” he said. “This is a long term project, and we will certainly continue cooperating over it in the future.”

The 1,700 year-old Obelisk has become a symbol of the Ethiopian people's identity and its reinstallation and inauguration gave rise to extensive celebrations in the country.

• 08-09-2008