Sheikh
Nur Hussein Shrine.
Sheikh
Hussein Shrine is an important symbol of Ethiopias
history and religious diversity; a lasting symbol of
the pluralist and tolerant version of Islam traditionally
practiced in Ethiopia.
Awareness
Creation on Cultural Preservation in Dire Sheikh Hussein:
Project Launch Highlights U.S. Cultural SupportAgreement
to Preserve Historic Mosque
U.S.
Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Dr. Anthony Fisher
traveled to the Bale Zone of Oromiya on December 3rd,
along with Oromiya Region Culture and Tourism Bureau
Chief Ato Aliyu Umer to launch a cultural preservation
project at the historic Sheikh Nur Hussein Shrine, a
religious pilgrimage site established in the 13th Century.
The
Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, an
annual competitive program of the U.S. Department of
State, provided a grant in the amount of $25,600 to
the Oromiya Regional Government to conduct structural
assessment at this unique site and to arrest further
deterioration of the mosque built by Sheikh Hussein
nearly a thousand years ago. It is hoped that the support
provided through this program will help further the
efforts of the Oromiya Regional Government to register
the Sheikh Nur Hussein Shrine as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
The
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, created
in 2001, is the only U.S. Government program that provides
direct small grant support to heritage preservation
in less developed countries. In 2005, 120 countries
were eligible to participate in the Ambassadors
Fund; Ethiopias successful program was one of
87 chosen for funding out of a total of over 150 proposals.
Speaking
at the launching ceremony, Dr. Fisher noted that Ethiopias
successful participation in the 2005 Ambassadors
Fund competition was a sign not only of deep U.S.-Ethiopian
cultural ties, but also of the American peoples
recognition of the richness and depth of Ethiopias
cultural heritage. He pointed out that the Sheikh
Hussein Shrine is an important symbol of Ethiopias
history and religious diversity; a lasting symbol of
the pluralist and tolerant version of Islam traditionally
practiced in Ethiopia.
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