Future

How the NeGaSh Project will grow in the coming years – through partnerships, community engagement and long-term heritage protection. The foundations laid in the first two seasons open the way for deeper fieldwork, architectural analysis and the development of a comprehensive heritage strategy for Negash. What follows is a vision built together with local partners, shaped by both scientific goals and community needs.

Building the future of research and heritage together with local partners.
The NeGaSh project is built on close collaboration between the University of Warsaw, Mekelle University, the Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau and the Ethiopian Heritage Authority. This partnership is essential — it provides access to local knowledge, supports institutional recovery after the conflict and enables socially responsible research. Joint activities include fieldwork, documentation, training, workshops and heritage‑related initiatives.
A central element of the project is the involvement of the local community of Negash. Residents are not only custodians of the memory of the First Hijra but also active contributors to the research: they identify places of historical significance, share narratives and participate in field activities. This approach brings together academic expertise and knowledge rooted in lived experience.
In the coming years, NeGaSh will continue to develop interdisciplinary research on the sacred landscape, settlement history and contemporary religious practices. Planned activities include further excavations, architectural analysis, digital documentation and studies on the relationship between memory and space. At the same time, the team will work on a heritage protection strategy that integrates scientific findings with community needs.
An important direction for the future is collaboration on the creation of a museum and archaeological park in Negash. This initiative aims to support the local economy, strengthen cultural institutions and foster sustainable tourism — including halal tourism, which is becoming an increasingly significant form of religious mobility in the region. NeGaSh will provide the scientific foundation for these efforts while helping to safeguard the unique sacred landscape of Negash.
The future of the project is guided by a shared goal: understanding the past, strengthening the present and building lasting foundations for heritage protection in a region still recovering from the impact of war.