[CPProt.net] The first of three parts of the famed Axum obelisk, which was plundered by fascist Italy nearly 70 years ago, has arrived home in Ethiopia.

[Museum Security Network / Cultural Property Protection Net (Ton Cremers)]

Ethiopian obelisk begins journey home

The first of three parts of the famed Axum obelisk, which was plundered by
fascist Italy nearly 70 years ago, has arrived home in Ethiopia. 

An Antonov cargo plane carrying one third of the 160-tonne monument landed
at Axum airport at 6:15am (local time) on a flight from Rome.

It is to be stored at the airport until the arrival of the remaining parts,
which is expected by next week. 

The long-awaited and much-delayed return of the 2,500-year-old, 24-metre
funeral stele has now begun in earnest following more than a half century of
wrangling between Italy and Egypt. 

The obelisk was taken by Italian troops as a prize of conquest in 1937 on
the orders of dictator Benito Mussolini during his brief attempt to colonise
Ethiopia. 

Despite a 1947 agreement that called for its return, the monument has
remained in Italy much to the anger of Ethiopia.

Until last year, when it was dismantled by Italian experts in preparation
for its journey home, the monument had stood outside the Rome headquarters
of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. 

Earlier this month, after several false starts, Ethiopia announced with
great fanfare that after years of waiting, the first piece would be returned
to Axum on April 13 with the remaining two portions to come by April 23. 

But three days later, it was forced to announce the return had been put on
hold indefinitely due to "technical and logistic reasons." 

Elaborate celebrations drawing on both national pride and the country's
anti-colonial history are planned to mark its arrival and re-erection, which
is expected to be completed by June of July. 

Dubbed 'Operation Restitution', the airlift will cost an estimated six
million euros, all of which is being paid by Italy. 

For workers overseeing its arrival, the return of the obelisk has posed
tremendous problems, not the least of which landing a plane laden with
granite at a small, radarless airport at altitude where temperatures
fluctuate wildly. 

"To land the equivalent of 60 cars in a small airport at an altitude of
2,230 metres is an extremely complicated operation," said Italian civil
engineer Simone Pietri Lattanze. 


http://www.abc.net.au/