Enda Mariam Cathedral, Asmara
{{short description|The main cathedral of Eritrea}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Enda Mariam Cathedral
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| image = Asmara, cattedrale ortodossa 04.JPG
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| geo = {{coord|15.3398|N|38.9442|E|source:wikidata|display=inline,title}}
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| religious_affiliation = Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church
| rite = Alexandrian
| region = Maekel
| state = Eritrea
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| sector = Debri
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| status = Cathedral
| functional_status = Active
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| leadership = Abune Antonious
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| architecture_type = Church
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| groundbreaking = 1938
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Enda Mariam Cathedral (Tigrinya: ቅድስቲ ማርያም ጽዮን ቤተ ክርስትያን) is an Eritrean Orthodox church in Asmara, Eritrea. The cathedral is located on Arbate Asmara Street.
Name
In the Tigrinya language enda (እንዳ) means "the place of, the habitat of (an object, a person, etc)". Thus, when combined with another noun, indicates a structure associated with that other thing. Thus enda bani (bread) means a bakery, enda afras (horses) means a stable, enda dewel (bell) means a church tower or belfry, enda tseba (milk) means a dairy.{{Cite web |url=http://www.memhr.org/dic/ebook/tigengdictionary.pdf |title=Tigrinya-English English-Tigrinya Dictionary |access-date=2017-02-09 |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020142020/http://www.memhr.org/dic/ebook/tigengdictionary.pdf |url-status=dead }} Mariam (ማርያም) means Mary. The church is also called Kidisti Mariam (Saint Mary).{{Cite web |url=http://www.shabait.com/about-eritrea/art-a-sport/8736-asmara-hub-of-ancient-and-contemporary-architecture-part-iii-and-final |title=Eritrean Ministry of Information, "History of Saint Mary Church" |access-date=2017-02-09 |archive-date=2017-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828011026/http://www.shabait.com/about-eritrea/art-a-sport/8736-asmara-hub-of-ancient-and-contemporary-architecture-part-iii-and-final |url-status=dead }}
Description
The church (in a simple wooden structure) was present in Asmara since the late 19th century. In the early 1930s, the Italian governor of Asmara ordered to create an improved structure with modern building materials and under the supervision of Italian architects.
In its present rationalist/modernist style, the church dates from 1938, when an unknown Italian architect, added the upper portions of the two flanking towers and the modernistic treatment of the façade to the 1920 form designed by Ernesto Gallo.[https://books.google.com/books?id=MlWrCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Asmara+E+Gallo%22&pg=PT14 Sean Anderson, Modern Architecture and its Representation in Colonial Eritrea: An In-visible Colony, 1890-1941 (Routledge 2016), Illustration 2.34] {{ISBN|978-1-31709477-7}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=Qi-KQchGks8C&dq=Denison+%22original+church%22+hidmo&pg=PA117 Edward Denison, Edward Paice, Eritrea: The Bradt Travel Guide (Bradt Travel Guides 2007), p. 117] {{ISBN|978-1-84162171-5}} The 1920 form has also been attributed to Odoardo Cavagnari,[http://news.fidelityhouse.eu/viaggi/guida-di-asmara-103289.html Fidelity House, "Guida di Asmara"] who designed Asmara Theatre and Asmara's futuristic Fiat Tagliero service station,[https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/17/asmara-eritrea-fiat-tagliero-service-station-history-cities-50-buildings The Guardian, "Asmara's Fiat Tagliero service station: a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 18"] and who was Asmara's Chief of Public Works.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Qi-KQchGks8C&dq=cavagnari+asmara&pg=PA84 Edward Denison, Edward Paice, Eritrea: The Bradt Travel Guide (Bradt Travel Guides 2007), p. 84] {{ISBN|978-1-84162171-5}}
Both the central block and the two large freestanding square towers that flank it are built in alternate layers of brick and stone, emulating the layers of wood and stone of Aksumite architecture, a technique that has been for centuries in use in the Eritrean Highlands. The protruding wooden support beams in these structures have been named "monkey heads".Lonely Planet Ethiopia & Eritrea. Matt Phillips, Jean-Bernard Carillet - 2006 -1741044367 Page 315 "Another outstanding monument, the Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral (Map p311; Arbate Asmara St), to the east, was built in 1938 and is a curious blend of Italian and Eritrean architecture. Its central block is flanked by large square towers"[http://www.africaresearchinstitute.org/newsite/event/9-september-event-modernist-architecture-in-asmara-eritrea/ Africa Research Institute, "Modernist architecture in Asmara, Eritrea"]
Earlier forms
In his account of the visit to Eritrea in 1891 by a Royal Commission sent by the Italian government, Ferdinando Martini, in line with his derogatory attitude towards all matters concerning the native "Abyssinians", described the then church at Asmara as less decent than the huts for hay in Italian farmyards.[https://archive.org/stream/nellaffricaital01martgoog#page/n115/mode/2up Ferdinando Martini, Nell'Africa Italiana: Impressioni e Ricordi, fourth (illustrated) edition, 1896, p. 102] The illustrated fourth (1896) edition of his book includes a photograph of the church,[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/am/9/9e/AsmaraChurch1895.jpg Chiesa abissina all'Asmara] some seven metres long, with traditional "monkey head" walls and a thatched roof whose projection beyond the walls was supported by rough poles.
A 1922 photograph of the church and its two towers in their 1920 form[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/am/7/7f/EndaMariam1930.jpg Ande Mariam in 1922] shows that it then had no trace of more contemporary, European styles.
Other prominent religious buildings
File:Churchesndmosque eritrea.jpg
It is one of three prominent religious landmarks in the city, the others being the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and Kulafah Al Rashidan Great Mosque.{{Cite web|url=http://www.asmera.nl/asmara-churches.htm|title=Religious sites of Asmara (1)|accessdate=26 April 2015|publisher= asmera.nl}}
Annual feast
The church's Nigdet (religious feast) of Saint Mary is celebrated on 30 November (1 December if the following Gregorian calendar year is a leap year).{{cite web|url=http://www.asmera.nl/eritrea2005/eritrea6A30.htm|title=Asmara Eritrea (Nigdet)- November 30th 2005|publisher=Asmera.nl|accessdate=30 April 2015}}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Gallery
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| File:Coptic and faithful Orthodox priests facing the Axumite church Enda Mariam from the 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909) 1.jpg
| alt1=Coptic and faithful Orthodox priests facing the Axumite church Enda Mariam from the 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909) 1
| Coptic and faithful Orthodox priests facing the Axumite church Enda Mariam from the 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909)
| File:Ancient Axumite church built in the 6th century here are the typical details of the Axumite buildings, basaltic stone bells still in use in many Eritrean churches, Coptic priest (the photo was taken in 1909) 2.jpg
| alt2=Ancient Axumite church built in the 6th century here are the typical details of the Axumite buildings, basaltic stone bells still in use in many Eritrean churches, Coptic priest (the photo was taken in 1909) 2
|Ancient Axumite church built in the 6th century here are the typical details of the Axumite buildings, basaltic stone bells still in use in many Eritrean churches, Coptic priest (the photo was taken in 1909)
| File:Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909) 3.jpg
| alt3=|Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909)
| File:Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909) 4.jpg
| alt4=Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909) 4
| Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara (the photo was taken in 1909)
| File:Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara on the hill holy (the photo was taken in 1909) 5.jpg
| alt5=Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara on the hill holy (the photo was taken in 1909) 5
| Axumite Church Enda mariam from 6th century in Asmara on the hill holy (the photo was taken in 1909)
}}
References
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External links
{{Commons category-inline|Enda Mariam Cathedral, Asmara}}
{{Asmara}}
{{Eritrea italiana (Colonia Primigenia)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Eritrean Orthodox church buildings
Category:Oriental Orthodox cathedrals in Africa