HISTORICAL HERITAGES IN GORE TOWN AND ITS SURROUNDINGS: Since the Late Nineteenth Century

Abstract

This study focuses on historical heritages in Gore town and its surroundings since the late 19 th century in Ale woreda, southwestern Ethiopia. The area is endowed by different historical heritages that flourished in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Since the second half of the nineteenth century until the Italian occupation the town of Gore was served as a centre of political administration and trade. As a result, the town was an important settlement for foreign agents and merchants. These were chiefly Greeks, Armenians, Syrian, Arabs, British, Americans, and Italians. The settlement increased its importance when the Gambella port was opened. Foreigners and locals built different buildings in Gore town, including the British consulate, the Italian administrative building, the Abyssinian bank, the Ras Nadew Hotel, as well as other palaces and churches. The first buildings were constructed initially from mud, wood, basaltic stone and corrugated iron sheet which was imported through Sudan. But, for the British consulate or building nora was used solely for finishing its walls. Today, this important historical architecture is deteriorating due to the absence of proper management, lack of conservation, restoration, maintainance and preservation. As a result, some of these buildings are in ruins, while the rest tends to deteriorate. The absence of research in the area has left these important heritages to be known little by the public. For the sake of political and military control the Italians erected a fortress with modern defensive walls at Kundi Mountain. It is another very crucial heritage of Gore town and its vicinity which is unexploited potential to attract tourists in the region. To realized this study both pre field and field work was employed. Informants selected based on their age, profession, and experiences. Nevertheless, data was gathered for this study from both primary and secondary sources. The objective of this study to assess the historical heritages in Gore and its surroundings. I also investigated the potential heritage resources of the district and indicate the points that might mitigate the problems and challenges which are manifested by it towards its preservation and sustainability. Keywords: historical heritages, Gambella port, foreign settlement, building materials, heritage management, tourist potential