A Study on the Islamic Material Culture in Medieval Ethiopia

ID: brp2501

KeywordEthiopia; Islam; Mosque; Medieval; Material Culture

Approximately 30% of Ethiopia’s population is Muslim. Islam spread in Ethiopia along the trade routes connecting ports on the Gulf of Aden with the Ethiopian interior. In August 2023, archaeologist Hitoshi Endo and cultural anthropologist Chikage Oba discovered a historical site in Sakate, West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, centered around a mosque, one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa before the 19th century. The site is located far from the aforementioned trade routes and has not been subject to academic research to date. This project aims to clarify the construction period and construction group of the Sakate site based on archaeological, historical, and architectural studies, and to deepen research into the Islamic material culture of medieval Ethiopia.

Date

2025.04.01～2026.03.31

Member

Coordinator : ISHIKAWA Hiroki

Co-Coordinator : KURONUMA Taichi

Member : BABA Tamon, ENDO Hitoshi, OTA Nobuhiro, SHIMIZU Nobuhiro, TAKAHASHI Yona