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Ethiopia

Author · Ethiopia

Afäwärq Gäbrä Iyäsus

Died in 1947

Afäwärq Gäbrä Iyäsus was born on 10 July 1868 on the Zege peninsula, on the shore of Lake Tana, a centre of traditional learning, and was related to Empress Taytu. Sent to Italy in 1887, he studied painting in Turin, decorated a church at Entoto on his return, then left again for sixteen years in Italy, where he worked with an Ethiopianist and published an Amharic grammar, a conversation manual and a satirical guide. Settled in Eritrea in 1912 in the import-export trade, he supported the Italians during both wars, which makes him a disputed figure. He died on 25 September 1947 in Jimma.

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