Charity staff uncover a 15th century wall painting of St Theodorus
Astonishing artworks hidden for centuries in remote Ethiopian cave churches have been uncovered by a British charity.
Workers uncovered wall paintings from the 15th century, including one of St Theodorus spearing the dragon. It had been covered by a lime wash which served as a protection.
A unique dedicatory inscription was also revealed at the remote church in Bahra in the Tigray region of the East African country where Christianity was introduced as early as the first century and where Christmas is celebrated on January 7.
Ethiopian Christians created hundreds of rock-hewn churches and decorated them with vivid, colourful paintings and many are as yet undocumented.
The art depicts biblical characters with distinctive features similar to those in Byzantine imagery and later showing a Catholic influence.
One of the images inside an Ethiopian rock-hewn church.
The inaccessibility of many of these churches and their hidden entrances have saved these unique paintings and church treasures.
Over the centuries Muslim invaders failed to discover the churches and so they exist largely unchanged today. However, without expert conservation they are deteriorating and could shortly be beyond repair.
Entrances to the rock churches are well hidden and that has helped preserve them and keep them from the destructive hands of invaders over the centuries.
The Ethiopian Heritage Fund (EHF) has been investigating the churches, recording them and conserving many of the important paintings.
The artworks recently discovered were created at around the same time as when the Sistine Chapel was being decorated in Rome.
In Britain, our mediaeval churches were once similarly painted to the churches in Ethiopia, but from the 16th century they were mostly covered over.
In 1536, reformers of the English church under Henry VIII issued Ten Articles that condemned the use of images which were regarded as ‘superstitious’ and ‘idolatrous’.
But in Ethiopia, its orthodox Christianity has remained virtually unchanged for nearly 2,000 years and many of its artworks have been largely untouched.
A unique dedicatory inscription has also been discovered.
Blair Priday, Executive Director of the EHF, said: “The charity was set up in 2005 with the support of the Patriarch of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian government.
“Since then we have undertaken conservation of manuscripts, icons and wall paintings. It is a great privilege to work on these beautiful objects and we hope that plans by the Bureau of Culture and Tourism to introduce responsible tourism in the Tigray region will bring tourists to see these incredible treasures in this very poor part of Africa.
“In 2017 we are planning further conservation of church paintings and we also hope to set up a small museum in Cheleqot which has as one of its treasures a table sent by George III who sought trading partners in this part of the world.
“It also has some beautiful 18th century manuscripts and golden crowns and silver slippers.
“These works need funding and we would welcome any help.”
