National Archives and Library of Ethiopia, National archives and library in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The National Archives and Library of Ethiopia holds roughly 800 manuscripts written in Ge'ez, Amharic, and Arabic, stored securely in its collection vault. The institution gathers governmental records, religious texts, and correspondence spanning different periods of the nation's past.
Emperor Haile Selassie founded this institution in 1944, starting with books from his personal collection as the foundation. The facility has grown into a central place for preserving Ethiopian written sources and continues to document the nation's memory through collected documents.
The collections showcase Ethiopian Christian manuscripts and documents that shaped how the nation understood itself through faith and governance. Walking through the archive, you experience how deeply written records connected religious life with the ruling families and their decisions.
Researchers, students, and organizations can access the collections by contacting the institution in advance to arrange a visit. The facility is located in Addis Ababa and can be reached using standard transportation methods available in the city.
The institution partners with UNESCO to maintain 157 digital copies and 70 microfilm reels of its manuscripts, protecting these rare sources from wear and damage. This preservation effort allows researchers around the world to study important Ethiopian texts without risking the fragile originals.
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