Sherif Private Musuem
Description
The Only Private Museum in Ethiopia - Sherif Harar City Museum.
The Sherif Harar City Museum’s collection was founded by the museum’s current curator, Mr. Abdulah Ali Sherif, who has painstakingly acquired Harari cultural objects since the early 1990s. A significant part of the collection was donated to the museum by members of the Harari community who entrusted the care of their heritage objects to Mr. Sherif.
Sherif Harar City Museum is a well-organised museum that home to a private Harari collection of old historically significant Harari and Arabic Manuscripts, religious and science Books which some date back to 700yr, Arm swords, Paints, Jewelry, Harar Coins, Basketry, Household tools, Weaponry, Audio and Music recordings and many more artifacts.
In his audio collection he had gathered more than 600 recorded Harari cultural and oldies songs. Also He has collected and documented well some Historical Ge'ez Bible and crosses.
The Sherif Harar City Museum also include items from the other groups: Oromo, Amhara, Gurage, Somali and Argobba groups.
The Abdela Sherif Museum was founded by Abdela Sherif in 1998. It is situated in one of the World’s Heritage Sites in the city of Harar in eastern Ethiopia known as Teferi House (or Tafari House). The building was provided by the Harari Regional State in 2007. It is now called The Abdela Sherif Museum. From the help of funding, the museum was renovated and re-opened to the public in 2011.
Abdela established the museum by using his personal archive of Harar music as the first collection of the museum. Back then, the museum was located in Sherif’s place of residence. The museum now preserves cultural artefacts, tools, manuscript and over 600 music recordings on display in the archive.
The collections are a result of donations from individuals in and around Harar. The museum building is of historical importance to Harar as it was once the home of the Duke, Ras Tafari (Haile Selassie I) who became Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974.
Book binding, classification and digitizing of all materials will soon follow. The Abdela Sherif Museum is open to the public daily (Monday – Sunday) from 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm.
Mr. Sherif has received many awards and recognition nationally and internationally.
Abullahi Ali Sherif holding his honorary doctorate degree from Haramaya University Source (Harari Mass Media Agency)
Abdullahi Ali Sherif is the founder of Sherif Private Museum, the first private museum in Ethiopia and a holder of an honorary Doctorate from Haramaya University for his contribution on the development and conservation of cultural heritages. Abudullahi Sharif, a father of five who considers the museum his sixth child. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Haramaya University on March 13, 2021 and at age 70, he wants to do more to preserve indigenous heritage.
Abdulahi Ali Sherif: "I have to say this to my fellow Ethiopians; we have to protect our unique identities, preserve our unique cultures and our artifacts for the coming generations to see."
..