Ethiopia unveils ancient obelisk
Submitted by coldrum on Saturday, 11 October 2008 Page Views: 938
Other ArchaeologyEthiopia is celebrating the unveiling of the reassembled Axum obelisk, one of the country's greatest treasures.The obelisk, at least 1,700 years old, was looted by Italian troops in the 1930s and returned to Ethiopia in 2005.
A giant Ethiopian flag was removed from the obelisk in front of what organisers said was a crowd of tens of thousands in the ancient northern town of Axum.
The ceremony is the last big event of Ethiopia's millennium year, the year 2000 by the country's Coptic calendar. The president and prime minister were among the officials attending.
Intricately carved obelisks were erected at the tombs of Ethiopia's ancient kings when Axum was the centre of a great empire.
But only one remained standing amid the tumbled blocks of its former companions, the BBC's Elizabeth Blunt reports from Ethiopia.
The Axum obelisk was taken by troops in 1937 during the Italian occupation.
The monument weighs more than 150 tonnes and was brought back from Italy in three pieces. The monument has now been restored and resurrected in its original home.
For more, including how the monument was restored, see the BBC News.
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