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The Fugnanbira Community Group Association

Web: www.gursum.com email Fugnanbira@gursum.com September 2011

_______________________________________ _________ Master Plan of Urban Heritage Preservation and Sustainable Development of

Harar, Ethiopia Prof. Hisham Mortada handed his final report to the Harari President HE Murad Abdulhadi.

Prof. Hisham Mortada handed his final report Master Plan of Urban Heritage Preservation and

Sustainable Development of Harar, Ethiopia to the Harari President HE Murad Abdulhadi. Gursum Community vice chair Meftuh Shash who also received a copy of the book expressed his appreciation to

Prof. Hisham Mortada for his completion of the master plan report and delivering it in time. Meftuh Shash in his letter to Prof. Hisham said “Thanks to you and your team for the tireless commitment and contributions you ’ve

made towards the conservations and preservations of our beloved ancient heritage city of Harar. There is no doubt that this master piece can help revitalize our Heritage City development and add values for centuries.

Prof. Hisham in his email letter to Meftuh Shash said: “What I have done for Harar is a reasonability. It indicates my deep understanding and appreciation of Harar’s Islamic heritage and people. It was and still is a

mission for me. I am very grateful for all those in and outside Harar who assisted me in fulfilling this mission. There is no doubt that I will always work for Harar and its people despite my submission of the Final Report,

which I hope will benefit the decision makers there. My last trip to Harar was memorable. Not only I was able to hand copies of the final report to Harar President

and other influential figures there, but also I saw the involvement of various international agencies in executing what the report proposed based on the presentation I made in Harar last year. The World Bank is renewing

three gates, the French gov. is restoring Shari’ah House and converting it into a heritage library and museum,

the Spanish gov. is restoring Menan House and converting it into a handcraft training center, and the US gov. is restoring the old valuable copies of Holy Quran of Abdul Sharif (believe it or not.) I was extremely thrilled to

see all of that. And by the way, the local TV of Harar covered the report submission and interviewed me. I was deeply touched by the hospitality and kindness of people there.” Prof. Hisham Mortada is a renown Professor of Architecture. KING ABDUL AZIZ UNIVERSITY, JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA, Department of Architecture.

Harar Tv News coverage @2:40 on the subject matter on July 22/11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg4LgqO4GyU&feature=player_embedded.

Prof. Hisham’s 2010 preliminary paper http://www.gursum.com/menu/Harar20Heritage2.pdf

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Gursum Santalla Water Project to Complete Soon By: Fikadu Mengesha (Gursum)

The Santalla Water Project started in 2008 by Saba construction Plc. Funded by the Oromia Regional

Government estimated $16 million ETB.

From previously studied 5 water wells the 1st two opened and adequate water was found that meets the current

demand. The project started on those two wells leaving the other 3 caped. The water supply from the two wells exceeds 20L/s, and estimated to serve 15,500 - 25,000 people for up to 20 years. The project is almost on the

last phase. Though it is two and half years the project it is not completed yet due to various reasons until today. The Potential reasons for not completing the project are such as 1) the increment of price of construction

materials, transportation cost...etc...2) Currencies fluctuation. 33km pipelines installed in the town and 2

generators transported to the area.

The only remaining to complete the project is the installation of power for the Pumping Station. Ato Dereje Mengistu informed us that the two generators will be installed one at Santala to pump water from the ground

using two pumps and the other at Dhigri location to pump the water stored from the Santalla to its reservoir, through this system the water reaches to Gursum town. Over all they

will use 4 water pumps for water to be pumped to its final distribution.

The generators use kerosene, and will be used as an emergency backup power in the event the main utility power fails.

It's about 10km in distance and the cost is estimated to be $ 1.3

Million Birr ETB. However still there is no budget to complete due to

the exhaustion of the previous budget. In light of this Gursum admin’s water department authority ato Dereje Mangistu encourages all

communities including those in Diaspora to actively participate and work together to conserve and achieve the completion of the Santalla

project as early as possible.

In Search of the Ancient Trade Routes of Eastern Ethiopia Continues

Harla reveal its trade with China 1000 years back more coins found. By: Marco Vigano.

Prof. Qin Dashu, archaeologist at Beijing University -the world authority on ancient Chinese coinage and international Chinese trade routes of the Middle Ages, has dated the coin I found in Harla, Ethiopia , in the hands

of peasants.

Prof. Qin said “The coin you found is read: Huang Song Tong Bao, casting in Song Dynasty Ren Zong

reign. The exact date they have been casted is from 1039 to 1053 AD. couple of decades earlier than

last one. Another coin found in Harla was recently identified by Prof Qin only from a design made by an Ethiopian scholar,

as being also minted in inner China, North Song Empire in the time of Emperor Sheng Zong, ca 1080. Proof, much needed as the 1080 coin is now apparently lost, that the new Extended East Route for cultural tourism in

Ethiopia was a thousand years old major trade route spanning extremely far. In my understanding a thousand

Photo by: Shawel Betru

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years ago and up to 1450 the Chinese had far superior technology, took no interest in particular to inferior

Europe, and traded regularly with Africa. This ended after the demise of Zheng He was, the greatest admiral of the middle ages, in 1433.In fact, the two Empires, Ethiopia and China, were in contact through trade, the find

appears to suggest. A path history seems to be repeating in a cycle, now China is set to be the world superpower, a pacific one totally distant from others' past colonialisms, in my personal opinion.

Wiki’s of the two Emperors minting coins found in Harla, near Dire Dawa, Ethiopia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Renzong_of_Song ,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Shenzong_of_Song.

Marco Vigano,

European team of experts suggest

Speleological Potentials in Ethiopia Probably the largest in sub-Saharan Africa

By: Meftuh Shash

French, English, Italian and an Ethiopian Experts & Speleologists made more Limestone Cave discoveries in Eastern Ethiopia,

Hararge region. In the expedition lasted nine days the team

visited 4 districts with 21 cavities in Eastern and western Hararge districts. According to the research paper titled

“Kundudo 2011 Speleological expedition in Ethiopia”, the expedition was carried out in Bedeno, Girawa, Gursum, and

Gelemso districs.

* The district of Bédéno. In two days of exploration, the team explored topographies of 11 cavities, often very long but of

modest development in the small village of Tortora guda. Only two cavities beyond the 100 m of development: Holka Dima 1

(146 m) and Holka Dima 3 (128 m) the existence of Holka Dima 1, huge Gallery unfortunately too quickly stopped, they guess

probably enormous potential but the access may not be easy.

* The district of Gurawa. The team explored two cavities in

the village of Magartu, less than 24 h through this village. Rako Barzala provided access to a large underground

river, point water essential for the region. They explored the topographies’ cavity on 437 m, not to mention the

presence of a high carbon dioxide concentration. During a previous visit, Nasir

had continued more than 500 m and the villagers indicate that the cavity continues on

more than one kilometer.

Holka Kia is a beautiful fossil cavity developing 270 m.

* The Gursum district: the area had been

explored by two Italian speleologist teams in 2008 and 2009, resulting in the discovery of

Holka Oromo. The team stayed for two and a

half days in Gursum. A part of the team made a partial visit of Holka Oromo. But they have

essentially dedicated their time to explore the limestone part of the Mt. Kundudo (2950 m

a.s.l.). They have explored new cavities to the

modest development. Four of these cavities start by Wells, the deepest (-66 m) ranks

among the ten deep cavities currently listed in Ethiopia.

* The district of Gelemso. Robin Weare and Nasir Ahmed benefit from a few extra days to visit two cavities in this district. Holka Waerabesa, (the Hyina’s cave) found to be the greatest discovery of the expedition

with at least 1 400 m from development.

Stephanoceras Pyritosum (PS)

Holka Golaa (MT ; 29/04/2011)