AN Ethiopian charity is demanding the return of ancient manuscripts seized by British soldiers more than 130 years ago and now held in a university archive.

The three Maqdala relics were discovered in Edinburgh University’s library archive by a visiting academic who recognised them as holy manuscripts.

Details were passed to the Afromet organisation, which is campaigning for the return of all Maqdala Ethiopian treasure, and a letter asking for them to be handed back has been sent to the university.

Afromet has also requested permission to examine another eight artefacts believed to have been taken from Ethiopia by British soldiers during the Siege of Maqdala (Magdala) in 1868.

A spokesman for Afromet said: “There are three manuscripts which we know make mention of Maqdala. The fact that they were in Maqdala suggests they were highly significant and there are references to the siege in the listings.

“If the other manuscripts are positively linked with Maqdala, they would be real treasure troves for historians.

“The Maqdala relics are holy manuscripts — one is a book of psalms and the other two are religious documents on St George. We are asking for them to be returned as a gesture of friendship.”

Tabots (consecrated altar slabs), manuscripts and other relics were taken by British troops who invaded Ethiopia to free British subjects imprisoned by Emperor Theodore II.

Soldiers who stormed his mountain fort left with 200 mules and 15 elephants loaded with treasure.

The emperor committed suicide rather than surrender and the soldiers cut out clumps of his hair as souvenirs.

A spokeswoman for Edinburgh University said it would “carefully consider” the case.

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