Biography

Mengistu Gobezie Worku has academic expertise in history, archaeology, cultural heritage, and tourism. He pursued advanced studies at Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), and Lund University (Sweden). He worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Management at Addis Ababa University and was instrumental in establishing the St. Lalibela Institute of Heritage and Tourism Studies. Mengistu has served as a key liaison between the Swedish Gothenburg University’s Department of Conservation and the St. Lalibela Institute. He coordinated the Ethio-French Lalibela World Heritage Site Conservation Project and played a significant role in founding the Research Center for Ethiopian Church Studies of Mahibere Kidusan. In 2024, he was a Getty Foundation Fellow at the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies in Florence.

Project Summary

Most scholars associate Ethiopian connections with Europe as beginning after the fifteenth century. However, recent research on the twelfth-century Church of Yimrehane Kristos and the rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela suggests these connections predate the fifteenth century. Archaeological investigations confirmed that Yimrehane Kristos used non-native cedar and expensive mineral-based pigments, indicating significant external contacts. These churches feature artistic elements popular in the Byzantine sphere, such as the Basilica Church plan, swastika, Star of David, and double-headed eagle. Bio-archaeological studies on the human mummies from Yimrehane Kristos show that many had white European craniometrical features. The presence of Mediterranean individuals ("Romans") in Ethiopia is mentioned in the Life of St. Yimrehane Kristos. Additionally, the historical narrative linking 'priest king' Yimrehane Kristos with 'Prester John' provides insights into medieval Ethiopian-European connections that may have roots in traditions existing since the twelfth century. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into Ethiopian-European relations prior to the fifteenth century, an area largely untouched by previous scholarship. This study aims to fill this gap by examining material and literary sources from the Lasta-Lalibela area, focusing on art, architecture, archaeological finds, and contemporary accounts related to the churches of Yimrehane Kristos and Lalibela.