Authority Restates Commitment to Safeguarding Cultural Heritages of Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian Heritage Authority reiterated today its unwavering commitment to carefully oversee the development of the Addis Ababa Corridor Development Project with the primary objective of preserving the nation’s cultural heritage.

Addressing the media, Ethiopian Heritage Authority Director-General Abebaw Ayalew emphasized the authority’s steadfast dedication to the protection, restoration, and conservation of Addis Ababa’s priceless resources and heritage.

However, he argued that all localities and buildings in the capital cannot be designated as heritage. The focus is on preserving structures that exemplify the architectural and historical significance of the capital city.

The age of a building alone does not automatically render it to be eligible to a heritage status, the director-general elaborated, adding that the evaluation encompasses multiple aspects, including architectural style, construction techniques, external and internal appearance, design, and other pertinent factors.

Accord
ing to Abebaw, the authority, in close coordination with the city administration and relevant authorities, has been overseeing the Addis Ababa Corridor Development Project with the view to ensuring that heritages remain unharmed.

The director-general highlighted the importance of striking a harmonious balance between development and heritage protection, asserting that it is both feasible and advantageous to integrate the two.

At present, he said that the authority is conducting heritage registration based on “international best practices.”

Abebaw revealed that this ongoing process has identified that some previously registered sites do not meet the current heritage status criteria.

Sites registered before and meeting the requirements would retain their heritage status, while those not meeting the criteria would lose their heritage designation, it was learned.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency