Ethio-SPaRe (acronym for Cultural Heritage of Christian Ethiopia: Salvation, Preservation, Research) was a 2009âÂÂ2015 research project hosted by the Hiob Ludolf Centre for Ethiopian Studies (HLCEES) of the University of Hamburg. The project documented various Orthodox Christian churches, monasteries, manuscripts (such as the Aksumite Collection), and cultural artefacts in the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. The project's principal investigator was Denis Nosnitsin. Project members also included Alessandro Bausi and others.
Missions
The following missions (field research trips) were undertaken by the Ethio-SPaRe project from 2010 to 2015. Over 100 ecclesiastical sites were documented in the Tigray Region. Some of these sites were documented by Western scholars for the first time, including Däbrä MaÃÂá¹£o, Däbrä Zäyt QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam, QÃÂta Maryam, MÃÂÃÂÃÂsar GwÃÂḥila, ÃÂAddi Qolqwal Giyorgis, Däbri Däbrä Zakaryas QÃÂddus Giyorgis (Däbri Giyorgis), and MÃÂngaÃ
 QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam. Over 2,000 manuscripts were also recorded. Manuscripts were also catalogued in the Digital Oriental Manuscript Library (DOMLib) database.
1st mission
The Ethio-SPaRe 1st Field Research Trip (AprilâÂÂMay 2010) documented the following sites.
- 1. ÃÂUra Qirqos/ÃÂUra Mäsqäl
- 2. ÃÂAddäqäḥarsi Mäkanä ḤÃÂywät á¹Âaraqliá¹Âos
- 3. Däbrä Zäyt QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- 4. Däbrä MaÃÂá¹£o QÃÂddus YoḥannÃÂs
- 5. Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Ã
ÂÃÂllase MÃÂdrä Ruba
- 6. Däbrä á¹¢ÃÂyon QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Mänäbäyti
- 7. Däbrä Berhan QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Foqäda
- 8. Sämaz Däbrä MÃÂá¹Âmaq QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam gädam
- 9. Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Säbäya
- 10. Däbrä Sälam QÃÂddus MikaÃÂel Qärsäbär
- 11. Däbrä MänkÃÂrat QÃÂddus Qirqos ÃÂAddigrat
- 12. Däbrä Mädhanit Mädḫane ÃÂAläm ÃÂAddigrat
2nd mission
The Ethio-SPaRe 2nd Field Research Trip (NovemberâÂÂDecember 2010) documented the following sites.
- 1. ÃÂAgamyo QÃÂddus MikaÃÂel
- 2. Däbrä QÃÂddusan ÃÂAbunä Mamas ÃÂAgärhÃÂse gädam
- 3. ÃÂAraÃÂro Täklä Haymanot
- 4. ÃÂAddi Qolqwal Giyorgis
- 5. ÃÂÃÂmbäyto Täklä Haymanot
- 6. ÃÂAmbasät Kidanä MÃÂḥrät
- 7. Däbrä Dammo gädam
- 8. ÃÂAḥzära Däbrä MÃÂhrät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- The area around the city of ÃÂAddigrat (sites 9âÂÂ15)
- 9. Däbrä Sälam QÃÂddus MikaÃÂel NÃÂḥbi gädam
- 10. Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Gänaḥti
- 11. á¹¢ÃÂrḥa á¹¢ÃÂyon Betä Ḥawaryat
- 12. Däbrä MÃÂḥrät QÃÂddus Mikael BäÃÂatti gädam
- 13. Mädḥane ÃÂAläm á¸Âäḥat
- 14. Däbrä MÃÂḥrät Kidanä MÃÂḥrät Läqay
- 15. Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam SiÃÂät
- 16. Däbrä á¹¢ÃÂyon QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam QiÃÂat
- 17. Däbrä Gännät Kidanä MÃÂḥrät MäḵodÃÂä gädam
- 18. Däbrä Sälam QÃÂddus MikaÃÂel MärgaḥÃÂya
- 19. Däbrä BÃÂrhan YoḥannÃÂs Mäá¹ÂmÃÂq DÃÂbla
- The area around NägaÃ
¡ (sites 20âÂÂ21)
- 20. Däbrä TäwaḥÃÂdo MÃÂḥrät Kädiḥ Maryam
- 21. Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddus MikaÃÂel Bäläsa
- 22. DÃÂrba Däbrä ÃÂAbunä Yasay
3rd mission
The Ethio-SPaRe 3rd Field Research Trip (AprilâÂÂMay 2011) documented the following sites.
- 1. Däbrä Gälila/Däbrä Betel Koholo QÃÂddus YoḥannÃÂs Mäá¹ÂmÃÂq
- 2. Maryam Mäkan
- 3. ÃÂAndel Maryam
- 4. Soá¹Âa Maryam
- 5. Dändära MikaÃÂel
- 6. Bet MäkaàDäbrä SahÃÂl QÃÂddus MikaÃÂel gädam, Bet MäkaàGäbrä Mänfäs QÃÂddus
- 7. May ÃÂAbÃÂa Maryam
- 8. QÃÂddus GäbrÃÂÃÂel Ḥawaá¹£i, ÃÂAbrÃÂqo QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- 9. GolÃÂa YoḥannÃÂs Mäá¹ÂmÃÂq
- 10. QÃÂta Maryam
- 11. Ḥarennät Maryam Gäbäzäyti
- 12. QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Kudo HawwÃÂs ÃÂAddi Qiyaḥto
4th mission
The Ethio-SPaRe 4th Field Research Trip (NovemberâÂÂDecember 2011) documented the following sites.
- 1. May ÃÂAnbäsa Kidanä MÃÂḥrät and ÃÂÃÂnda Mäḥṣun
- 2. SÃÂddäyto MikaÃÂel
- 3. Taḥtay Ruba Maryam
- 4. MäkaÃÂÃÂlo Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam
- 5. May ṢäÃÂada Ã
ÂÃÂllase, May ṢäÃÂada ÃÂArbaÃÂtu ÃÂÃÂnsÃÂsa
- 6. Säglat QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam, Säglat QÃÂddus MikaÃÂel
- 7. ÃÂÃÂnda Ḥawaryat á¹Âeá¹Âros wä-á¹Âawlos
- 8. QändaÃÂro QÃÂddus Qirqos
- 9. Mänäwät QÃÂddus Giyorgis
- 10. May Raza Täklä Haymanot Maryam
- 11. Säwnä Maryam
- 12. Wälwalo Qirqos
- 13. QälaqÃÂl á¹¢ÃÂyon Maryam
- 14. Ḥangoda MikaÃÂel
- 15. Ṣäbäla Maryam
- 16. SÃÂnqaá¹Âa FÃÂrewäyni Maryam
- 17. Bet MukaÃÂ MikaÃÂel
5th mission
The Ethio-SPaRe 5th Field Research Trip (MayâÂÂJune 2012) documented the following sites.
- 1. Däbrä Mädḫanit Maryam Qorrar
- 2. Kunale ÃÂArbaÃÂtu ÃÂÃÂnsÃÂsa
- 3. TänsÃÂḥe Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam
- 4. Tängoga Däbrä Nazret Kidanä MÃÂḥrät
- 5. ÃÂAräbay Maryam
- 6. May BäÃÂatti ÃÂArbaÃÂtu ÃÂÃÂnsÃÂsa
- 7. ÃÂAlÃÂasa MikaÃÂel
- 8. ÃÂAgulaàGetesemani Kidanä MÃÂḥrät
- 9. MÃÂÃÂÃÂsar GwÃÂḥila MikaÃÂel
6th mission
The Ethio-SPaRe 6th Field Research Trip (NovemberâÂÂDecember 2012) documented the following sites.
- 1. Qäqäma QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Däbrä Gännät gädam
- 2. Zala þÃÂnda þAmanuþel gädam
- 3. Rubaḵusa QÃÂddus Giyorgis gädam
- 4. Mäläkusäyto QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- 5. ÿAddimḥara Däbrä Mädḫanit þAbba Yoḥanni
- 6. MÃÂngaÃ
 QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- 7. Däbri Däbrä Zakaryas QÃÂddus Giyorgis
- 8. þAf MÃÂhyaw QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- 9. BaḥÃÂra QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam gädam
- 10. Qaḥen Däbrä á¹¢adÃÂqan
- 11. ÿAddi þArbaþa Däbrä SÃÂbḥat QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- 12. á¹¢aḥÃÂlo Däbrä Ṣäḥay QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- 13. Däräba Mädḫane ÿAläm
7th mission
The Ethio-SPaRe Seventh Field Mission (JanuaryâÂÂFebruary 2014) documented the following sites.
- 1. Gwaḥtärat Qirqos
- 2. ÃÂÃÂndamosa Däbrä Sälam Mäzgäbä Ã
ÂÃÂllase
- 3. LÃÂḥuá¹£a Maryam
- 4. MaÃÂÃÂtäb Däbrä Gännät Maryam
- 5. MazabÃÂr Däbrä Ã
ÂÃÂllase
- 6. ÃÂÃÂmba Täkula Däbrä Gännät MikaÃÂel
8th mission
The Ethio-SPaRe Eighth Field Mission (MayâÂÂJune 2014) documented the following manuscripts.
- DGQ-002, "Miracles of Mary" (Däbri Däbrä Zakaryas Giyorgis)
- TGM-003, "Undoing of Charms" (ÃÂAmba Tähula MikaÃÂel)
- RQG-012, "Praise of Mary" (Rubakusa Giyorgis)
- UM-033, Fragment of an ancient antiphonary (?) (ÃÂUra Mäsqäl)
- MQMA-005, "Spiritual Elder" (MÃÂngaÃ
 Maryam)
- EMQ-008, Psalter and other texts (ÃÂÃÂnda Maryam Qorrar)
- EMQ-060, Collection of miscellaneous texts (ÃÂÃÂnda Maryam Qorrar)
- Manuscripts from ÃÂUra Mäsqäl
- Octateuch UM-040
- Four Gospels UM-027
9th mission
The Ethio-SPaRe Ninth Field Mission (March 2015) documented the following sites.
- May Ḥargäs Giyorgis
- May Gaba MikaÃÂel
Subsequent missions
After the Ethio-SPaRe project was over in 2015, the project team members documented several more sites:
- ÃÂÃÂnqwaqo ÃÂÃÂnda Maryam Däbrä Mongway
- ZÃÂqallay Mädḫane ÃÂAläm Bäräkti, ZÃÂqallay ÃÂOm Ṣällim SÃÂllaÃ
Âe
- May Läbay Däbrä MäwiàQÃÂddus Minas
- á¹¢ÃÂlalmÃÂÃÂo Däbrä Ṣäḥay QÃÂddus GäbrÃÂÃÂel
- ÃÂÃÂnda á¹¢adÃÂqan MÃÂḥräta
- ÃÂAba QÃÂddus Qirqos
- Ṭaqot Maryam ÃÂÃÂnda á¹¢ÃÂyon Maryam
The Beta maá¹£ÃÂḥÃÂft project was initiated after the Ethio-SPaRe project was over in 2015, and included field research from 2018 to 2019. The project has documented bookmaking in LÃÂggat Qirqos, Gulo Mäkäda district, eastern Tigray Region.
Sites catalogued in Nosnitsin (2013)
Denis Nosnitsin's 2013 monograph Churches and Monasteries of TÃÂgray catalogued manuscripts held at over 100 churches and monasteries in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Some of these churches and monasteries are as follows.
- Gulo Mäḵäda woreda
- ÿUra Qirqos/ÿUra Mäsqäl
- ÿAddäqäḥarsi Mäkanä ḤÃÂywät Pãaraqliá¹Âos
- Däbrä Zäyt QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Däbrä Maÿṣo QÃÂddus YoḥannÃÂs
- May ÃÂãäw QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- MÃÂdrä Ruba Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Ã
ÂÃÂllase
- Mänäbäyti Däbrä á¹¢ÃÂyon QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Fäqada Däbrä BÃÂrhan QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Sämaz Däbrä MÃÂá¹Âmaq QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam gädam
- Säbäya Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Qärsäbär Däbrä Sälam QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- þAgamyo QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- þAgärhÃÂse Däbrä QÃÂddusan þAbunä Mamas gädam
- þAraÿro Täklä Haymanot
- ÿAddi Qolqwal Giyorgis
- ÿÃÂmbäyto Täklä Haymanot
- MäkaþÃÂlo Mäkanä LÃÂÿul Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam
- þAmbasät Kidanä MÃÂḥrät
- Däbrä Dammo þAbunä þArägawi gädam
- þAḥzära Däbrä MÃÂhrät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- ÿAddi Qiyaḥto QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Kudo HawwÃÂs
- Säglat QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam / QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- SÃÂddäyto Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- Taḥtay Ruba Däbrä BÃÂrhan QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- May á¹¢aÿda QÃÂddÃÂst Ã
ÂÃÂllase
- þÃÂnda Ḥawaryat Pãeá¹Âros wä-Pãawlos
- ÿAddigrat woreda
- ÿAddigrat Däbrä MänkÃÂrat QÃÂddus Qirqos
- ÿAddigrat Däbrä Mädhanit Mädḫane ÿAläm
- Ganta þAfäÃ
¡um woreda
- NÃÂḥbi Däbrä Sälam QÃÂddus Mikaþel gädam
- Gänaḥti Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Betä Ḥawaryat á¹¢ÃÂrḥa á¹¢ÃÂyon gädam
- Bäÿatti Däbrä MÃÂḥrät QÃÂddus Mikaþel gädam
- Mäḵan Maryam
- Bet Mäḵaÿ Däbrä SahÃÂl QÃÂddus Mikaþel gädam / Gäbrä Mänfäs QÃÂddus
- May þAbþa Maryam
- ÃÂãäḥat Mädḥane ÿAläm
- Läqñay Däbrä MÃÂḥrät Kidanä MÃÂḥrät
- Siÿät Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Qiÿat Däbrä á¹¢ÃÂyon QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Mäḵodÿä Däbrä Gännät Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam
- MärgaḥÃÂya Däbrä Sälam QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- DÃÂbla Däbrä BÃÂrhan YoḥannÃÂs Mäá¹ÂmÃÂq
- þAndel Maryam
- Soá¹Âa Däbrä Sälam QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- Dändera Däbrä MÃÂḥrät QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- Ḥawaá¹£i QÃÂddus GäbrÃÂþel and þAbrÃÂqo QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Golÿa YoḥannÃÂs Mäá¹ÂmÃÂq
- QÃÂta Maryam
- Ḥarennät Maryam Gäbäzäyti
- Qändaÿro Däbrä Ḫayl QÃÂddus Qirqos
- MÃÂþÃÂsar GwÃÂḥila QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- Mäläkusäyto QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- ÿAddimḥara Däbrä Mädḫanit þAbba Yoḥanni
- MÃÂngaÃ
 QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Däbri Däbrä Zakaryas QÃÂddus Giyorgis
- þAf MÃÂhyaw QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- BaḥÃÂra QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam gädam
- Gwaḥgot Däbrä á¹¢ÃÂge þIyäsus
- þÃÂndärta woreda
- DÃÂrba Däbrä þAbunä Yasay
- Koholo Däbrä Gälila Däbrä Betel QÃÂddus YoḥannÃÂs Mäá¹ÂmÃÂq
- May þAnbäsa Däbrä Gännät Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam / þÃÂnda Mäḥṣun gädam
- KÃÂlÃÂttä þAwlaÿlo woreda
- Kädiḥ Däbrä TäwaḥÃÂdo QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Bäläsa Däbrä Gännät QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- þAgulaÿ Getesemani Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam
- Qaḥen Däbrä á¹¢adÃÂqan
- ÿAddi þArbaþa Däbrä SÃÂbḥat QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- á¹¢aḥÃÂlo Däbrä Ṣäḥay QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Däräba Mädḫane ÿAläm
- Mäÿago þAmanuþel
- Saÿsi á¹¢aÿda þÃÂmba woreda
- Mänäwät Giyorgis þÃÂnda Maryam
- May Raza Täklä Haymanot
- Säwnä Däbrä Sina Däbrä Gännät Maryam
- Wälwalo Däbrä BÃÂrhan Qirqos
- QälaqñÃÂl á¹¢ÃÂyon Maryam
- Ḥangoda Däbrä MÃÂḥrät QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- Ṣäbäla Däbrä Gännät Maryam gädam
- Sänqaá¹Âa FÃÂrewäyni Däbrä á¹¢ÃÂge QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam
- Bet Muḵaÿ QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- Dägÿa Tämben woreda
- Qorrar Däbrä Mädḫanit QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam gädam
- Kunale þArbaÿtu þÃÂnsÃÂsa
- TänsÃÂḥe Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam
- Tägoga Däbrä Nazret Kidanä MÃÂḥrät gädam
- þAräbay QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- May Bäÿatti Däbrä Gännät þArbaÿtu þÃÂnsÃÂsa
- þAlÿasa QÃÂddus Mikaþel
- Qäqäma QÃÂddÃÂst Maryam Däbrä Gännät gädam
- Zala þÃÂnda þAmanuþel gädam
- Rubaḵusa QÃÂddus Giyorgis gädam
Workshops
The following academic workshops were held by the Ethio-SPaRe project.
- Ecclesiastic Landscape of North Ethiopia: History, Change and Cultural Heritage (2011)
- Saints in Christian Ethiopia: Literary Sources and Veneration (2012)
- The Secondary Life of Manuscripts (2013)
- Manuscripts as Artefacts: Methods of their Study and Conservation (June 2014)
- Manuscripts and texts, languages and contexts: the transmission of knowledge in the Horn of Africa (July 2014)
Bibliography
Books
The following academic volumes were published by Harrassowitz as a result of the Ethio-SPaRe project.
Articles
See also
References
External links