Photo by Pawel Libera / Getty Images
LONDON — Hidden behind the altar in the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey lies a sacred object few visitors ever notice, and even fewer understand: a blackened wooden Tabot from Ethiopia, a replica of the biblical Ark of the Covenant. Revered in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Tabot is essential to liturgy. Without one, a church cannot be consecrated.
But this Tabot, once part of the Mekane Selam Medhane Alem Cathedral in Ethiopia, has not been used in worship for more than 150 years. It was looted in 1868 by British forces during the Battle of Magdala, brought back to England as a war trophy, and quietly installed in one of the country’s most iconic religious sites.
Today, as restitution campaigns gather momentum across Europe, the Ethiopian government and diaspora are renewing calls for its return.
A Colonial Legacy
The Tabot was seized during the British Expedition to Abyssinia—an 1868 military campaign launched after Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II imprisoned British diplomats and missionaries. The conflict ended with Tewodros’ death and the fall of Magdala fortress. Before leaving, British forces ransacked the site, taking religious texts, crowns, and tabots.
More than 200 mules and 15 elephants were needed to carry the looted treasure. Among the British officers was Lieutenant-Colonel George Arbuthnot, who took the Tabot and donated it to Westminster Abbey in 1870.
“It was never just a war,” said one historian. “It was a performance of imperial dominance—with sacred objects reduced to souvenirs of conquest.”
A Sacred Object Recontextualized
In Ethiopian Christianity, the Tabot is not a museum piece. It is treated with the utmost reverence, wrapped in cloth, hidden from public view, and handled only by ordained priests. During ceremonies such as the Timkat festival, it is carried on priests’ heads in celebration of Jesus’ baptism.
At Westminster Abbey, however, the Tabot was originally displayed without its covering, violating centuries of religious tradition. Although it was concealed behind fabric in 2010, the Abbey refused a request in 2019 to allow Ethiopian priests to pray in its presence.
“That refusal was deeply hurtful,” said one Ethiopian student. “The object isn’t just ours historically. It’s sacred to our people. To deny us access is to deny our faith.”
Critics argue that placing the Tabot next to relics from other Christian traditions in the Abbey reduces it to a decorative symbol of global Christianity—stripping it of its cultural and theological meaning. “It’s an aesthetic of empire,” said a Westminster School teacher. “A way of displaying dominance under the guise of religious diversity.”
A Wider Movement for Restitution
Ethiopia has long called for the return of tabots held in Britain. Since 2002, the government has formally campaigned for the restitution of looted religious objects. While institutions like the British Museum have resisted such requests, some progress has been made. In 2021, a British foundation returned several Maqdala-era treasures to Ethiopia.
The Tabot at Westminster Abbey remains one of the most prominent and contentious items still unrepatriated. Its removal would represent not just a return of property, but a symbolic reversal of colonial power.
Legal scholars argue that the looting violated modern principles of international law, including provisions under the 1970 UNESCO Convention on cultural property. “There is a clear case for return,” said human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, who has advocated for the restitution of looted African artifacts. “It was stolen in war and kept in defiance of religious customs. Continued possession perpetuates injustice.”
A Turning Point?
In February 2024, Westminster Abbey announced it had agreed “in principle” to return the Tabot. The decision follows increasing scrutiny from media, legal experts, and members of the public—including students and teachers at Westminster School, where assemblies are held weekly in the Abbey.
“Learning about the Tabot’s history changed how I viewed the space,” said one student of Ethiopian heritage. “Knowing that something from my homeland was sitting there, unseen and unacknowledged—it was painful.”
Ethiopian officials have welcomed the Abbey’s statement but are waiting for concrete steps. “Symbolic gestures are not enough,” said one official in Addis Ababa. “We need action, not principle.”
Restitution as Reconciliation
Advocates for return argue that restitution is not about rewriting history—it’s about healing it. In Ethiopia, the Tabot could rejoin a living tradition and serve as a tool for cultural and spiritual renewal. In Britain, its return could be a model for faith-based institutions reckoning with imperial legacies.
“If Westminster Abbey follows through, it won’t diminish its role as a national symbol,” said one historian. “It will enhance it—showing that humility, justice, and reconciliation are values not only preached, but practiced.”
For now, the Tabot remains hidden in plain sight. But its journey from Magdala to London, and potentially back again, is a reminder that the ghosts of empire still dwell among us—and that restitution can be a way of setting them free.
Written by Cassie Zheng
