A
rare representation of medieval Eritrean
religious architecture, the Eritrean Orthodox
Church of Kidane-Mehret, near the town
of Senafe 135 kilometers southeast of
Asmara, was constructed using the so-called
monkey-head style, an architectural form
that dates to the Axumite Empire (A.D.
100–700). Used for both religious buildings
and prestigious residences throughout
the middle ages, the style takes its name
from the appearance of the rounded ends
of wooden support dowels that emerge from
coursed rubble masonry exterior walls.
For all the popularity of the construction
technique, Kidane-Mehret, which was
in continuous use until the 1970s when
a new sanctuary was built a few meters
away, is the only example of this style
to survive from the medieval period,
albeit in a ruinous state. The roof
collapsed in 1997 and little has been
done to protect the building from the
elements and bird and rodent infestation.
Surviving roof beams are rotting, paintings
on interior pillars are deteriorating,
and the building’s structural integrity
has been compromised. Due to the current
political climate, funds for any sort
of restoration are non-existent, while
skilled masons and laborers are scarce.
Yet there is hope. A proposal has been
put forth to have the site listed nationally
as an endangered structure and to carry
out emergency repairs, including the
installation of a temporary roof to
arrest water infiltration. This would
be followed by the construction of a
new roof and repairs of the walls and
finishes and the installation of a new
floor. Perhaps more important, the proposed
project would establish a local training
program to revive the monkey-head building
method, a vanishing tradition indigenous
to this region of Africa.
