Festivals

Ethiopia has a number of festivals, many of them unique: Timket (Epiphany), falling on 19 January, is the greatest festival of the year, followed in importance by Meskal (Finding of the True Cross) on 27 September. Easter is the most solemn of the festivals but the Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) falls on 11 September in the Western Calendar. Christmas is celebrated on 7 January. Among the most unusual of the country’s festivals are Kulubi Gabriel, Sheikh Hussein, Gishen Mariam, and Sof Omar. Crowds pray for health, for a new baby, for a special favour or a good harvest, or to give thanks for wishes already granted.

ENKUTATASH – NEW YEAR

11 September on the Western Calendar, is both Ethiopia’s New Year’s Day and the Feast of St. John the Baptist. The day is called Enkutatash meaning the “Gift of Jewels”. When the famous Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive jaunt to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with fuku, or jewels. The spring festival has been celebrated since these early times and as the rains come to their abrupt end, dancing and singing can be heard at every village in the green countryside. After dark on New Year’s Eve people light fires outside their houses, and rush around with flaming torches, celebrating the passing of the old year and the coming of the new year. traditionally young girls would pick a special kind of grass, called engicha or enqwutatash in honour of the vent, and would go round singing new-year messages of good will, and presenting the grass to whomever they met and would be reciprocated with a modest gift. New year’s day in Ethiopia as in many other countries is thus a time of tradition.

MESKAL (FINDING OF THE TRUE CROSS)

Meskal, second in importance only to Timket, has been celebrated in the country for over 1 600 years. The feast commemorates the discovery of the Cross, upon which Jesus was crucified, by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. The feast is celebrated on 27 September. On the Eve of Meskal tall branches are tied together and yellow daisies, popularly called Meskal flowers, are placed at the top. during the night these branches are gathered together in front of the compound gates and ignited. This symbolises the actions of Empress Helena who, when no one would show her the Holy Sepulchre, lit incense and prayed for help. where the smoke drifted she dug and found three crosses. To one of them, the True Cross, many miracles were attributed. Meskal also signifies the physical presence of the True Cross at the remote mountain monastery of Gishen Mariam located in the South Wollo administrative zone. Arrangement of the Cross was kept in a box of gold. The priests of Gishen still safeguard this treasure along with the Tefut, which is handwritten in Ge’ez on beautiful parchment. During this time of year flowers bloom on mountains and plains and the meadows are yellow with the brilliant Meskal daisy. Dancing, feasting, merrymaking, bonfires and in the past even gun salutes mark the occasion.

GENNA (ETHIOPIAN CHRISTMAS)

The Ethiopian Christmas, also called Lidet, is not the primary religious and secular festival that it has become in Western countries. falling on 7 January, it is celebrated seriously by a church service that goes on throughout the night, with people moving from one church to another. Traditionally, young men played a game that is similar to hockey, called Genna, on this day and now Christmas has also come to be known by that name. This celebration is unique to Lalibela and attracts many visitors.  

TIMKET – FEAST OF EPIPHANY

Timket, feast of Epiphany, is the greatest festival of the year, falling on 19 January, less than two weeks after the Ethiopian Christmas. it is a three-day affair, beginning on the Eve of Timket with dramatic and colourful processions. The following morning, the great day itself, Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist is commemorated. The third day is devoted to the Feast of St. Michael, the archangel, one of Ethiopia’s most popular saints. Enormous effort is put into the occasion. Tej and tella (Ethiopian mead and beer) are brewed, special bread is baked, and sheep are fattened for slaughter. Gifts are prepared for the children and new clothes purchased or old clothes mended and laundered. Everyone – men, women and children – appears resplendent for the three day celebration. On the eve of 18 January, Ketera, the priests remove the tabots from each church and bless the water of the pool or river where the next day’s celebration will take place. It is the tabot (symbolising the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments) rather than the church building which is consecrated and accorded extreme reverence. The feast is celebrated throughout the country and the best places to observe this occasion are Addis Ababa, Lalibela and Gondar.

THE ARCH OF THE COVENANT

In Axum the original Ark of the Covenant is said to be housed in a well-guarded chapel of the Church of St. Mary of Zion. a replica or symbol of the Ark of the Covenant, known as tabot, occupies pride of place in the holy of holies of every Ethiopian Orthodox Church. These replicas – which derive their sanctity from their relationship to the true and original Ark still believed by Ethiopians to be kept at Axum – are so important that n church is considered consecrated without one. The Ark was  previously held in an older church on an island on Lake Tana where it remained for 800 years before being moved to Axum’s original St. Mary of Zion Chapel.

SHEIKH HUSSEIN

Lost in the desert planes of Ethiopia’s Bale Province lies the sacred shrine of Sheikh Hussein. Its glistening white domes float in a vast sea of emerald green scrub. This remote shrine and its sacred compound house the tomb of a Saint renowned for his miraculous powers. Although little is known of Sheikh Hussein’s history, his shrine has become the site of one of Ethiopia’s most extraordinary pilgrimages. The faithful flock there twice a year from all over Ethiopia as well as from neighbouring countries to visit this complex of mosques, shrines and tombs. The pilgrimage lasts several days. As the final prayers are offered and preparations are made for the long journey home, the pilgrims are spiritually enriched. Their journey has brought spiritual renewal and a welcome break from the harsh realities of their lives.

NEGASH

Ethiopia has long enjoyed the most intimate relations with Islam. When the early followers of Prophet Mohammed were denied the right to pursue their religion by the Quraysh tribe, the mercantile ruler of Mecca, the Prophet had to seek a safe hideout for his followers in order to maintain the survival of his religion. The then ruler of Ethiopia, or Nejashi, granted asylum to the first refugees, 11 men and four wives, who entered his territory in 615. The second Hijira (flight) consisted of 101 Muslims. The Quraysh are said to have asked the Ethiopian ruler to hand over the exiles to them, but this was strongly rejected. Among the refugees were the Prophet’s daughter Ruquyya, his future wives Umma Habiba and Umma Salama and his cousin and leader of the religious exiles, Ja’afar Ibn Abu Tali. Many of the Muslims stayed in the country until they died and in the end were buried at the sacred village of Negash, north of Wukro about 60 kms from Mekelle, the capital of Tigray Regional State. The Nejashi of the Habashat, as the king is known in the Arab World, died in 630 and was also buried there. Negash remains Ethiopia’s earliest and most holy Muslim Centre, where there is a fine mosque, constructed recently. Many flock to Negash for pilgrimage once in a year during the 10th day of the month of Moharem. Muslims from different parts of Ethiopia and abroad attend this two day colourful festival.

EID AL FITR

Islamic festivals have a special meaning for Muslims of Ethiopia because of the historical link. Ramadan is one of the holiest periods in the Islamic calendar. Life changes dramatically during Ramadan. After breaking their fast at sun-down, peoople stay awake until early hours, feasting, visiting friends and praying. At dawn they eat the meal that will last them until sunset. At the end of Ramadan, the festival of Eid Al Fitr is celebrated.

EID AL ADHA

The most important holy festival for the Muslims is Eid Al Adha, the feast of the sacrifice – this occurs at the end of hajj on the 10th day of Zul Hijja, the twelfth month of the Islamic year. Sheep, goats or camels are sacrificed on this great occasion. The joyful crowds throng the mosque for prayers – the world is alive with happiness.

The People and Culture

Ethiopia is old: Old beyond all imagination. More than three million years ago the earliest known hominids walked here. Many prehistoric discoveries, including Stone Age tools up to 1.7 million years old and vibrant cave paintings, support the claim that this part of the world was, indeed, the Cradle of Civilisation.

Three thousand years before the birth of Christ the ancient Egyptians sent expeditions down the Red Sea in quest of gold, ivory, incense, and slaves. They called this territory “The Land of Punt”. Although this term was used for both sides of the Red Sea, most of the goods seem to have come from the Ethiopian area. Today Ethiopia is a rich cultural mosaic due to its eighty different languages and dialects and as many, if not more, cultural variations. Semitic languages are spoken in the North and much of the centre of the country, including Tigrinya, Guraginya and Ethiopia’s official language, Amharic. All are derived from the ancient Ge’ez which today only survives in church liturgy and literature.

To the east and other parts of the south are the Oromos, the Afars and the Somalis who are Cushitic – speaking peoples while the associated Sidama languages are spoken to the south-east. To the west and south-west are to be found the Nilotic peoples, each with its own distinctive language and culture.

Elsewhere around the country there are a number of smaller communities whose cultures, languages and traditions are related to different facets of Ethiopia’s long history and, as with all the peoples of the country, to its religious be they Orthodox Christians, Moslems or members of other faiths. Folk culture is also an important element of today’s Ethiopia. Artists and craftsmen make their own contributions to the country’s cultural and social development. Almost every town has its own cultural troupe made up of singers and dancers, poets and writers, and its own cultural hall in which the troupe re-creates the song and dance of its particular area from a bygone age.

Adventure in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is increasingly becoming recognised as a premier venue for a range of outdoor activities. White-water rafting, trekking, caving and paragliding are all on the increase for the young – and not  so young – along with the more gentle and traditional pursuits of fishing and bird watching. 

White-water rafting is a highly popular activity enjoyed on all continents. Ethiopia’s rivers have played an important role in the internationalisation of this blend of sport, ecotourism and adventure. 

The Omo River, which tumbles for some 350 kilometres through steep, inaccessible valleys, was first explored by an intrepid group in 1973. Inspired by their success, a number of commercial operators have set up rafting holidays on the river. The best season for Omo trips is September to October, when the water is still high from the June – September rains and the weather is starting to dry out.  

Spirited rapids, innumerable side creeks and waterfalls, sheer canyons, hot springs, abundant wildlife, and exotic local people combine to make the Omo River one of the world’s classic river adventures. River trips have also been organised on the Awash River with short, but equally demanding rafting conditions, and other expeditions have been held on the Blue Nile. 

Mountain Climbing 

Blessed with a temperate climate, grand mountain scenery and a tradition of generous hospitality, the Ethiopian highlands offer superb opportunities for trekking and mountain climbing. The sport is still developing but mountain climbing is now organised on the Simien and Bale mountains.

Trails of Adventure 

Trekking in Ethiopia does not involve being super-fit. Horses, mules and donkeys are universal means of transport, so horse trekking has been a natural development. The terrain is usually steep for only short periods, when walking rather than riding may be necessary. In Bale Park, trips can be tailored to meet all individuals’ needs, whether they be day trips around Dinsho or ten day hikes around the whole park. The principal, well-established areas for trekking are the Simien and Bale  Mountains National Parks. 

Lesser known trekking areas are in the remote south-west highlands, east and west of the Omo Valley where strong and colourful cultures complement the appeal of scenery, flora and fauna. Other beautiful areas include Mount Chilalo and the Arba Gugu area in Arsi, and the Chercher Mountains in Harerge. Trekking parties are normally accompanied by park rangers who help with the mules and are generally sharp-eyed and knowledgeable about flora, fauna and terrain.

Caving 

The Sof Omar cave system. 120 kilometres east of Gaba in Bale region, is one of the most spectacular and extensive underground caverns in the world. Formed by the Weyb River as it changed course in the distant past and carved a new channel through limestone foothills, the 16 kilometres cave system is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty. The dry, cool caves contain many marvels of natural architecture, including soaring pillars of stone 20 metres high, flying buttresses, fluted archways and tall airy vaults. Finally the river itself is reached, flowing through a deep gorge. You can explore the caves on foot, without special climbing equipment, but proper precautions have to be taken. Torches or other lighting are needed and another must is a map. The most direct route through the first part of the caves takes about an hour. The large central hall of Sof Omar, the “Chamber of Columns” – son named after the colossal limestone pillars that are it’s dominant feature – is one of the highlights of the cave system. 

Fishing 

Conditions for sport fishing could hardly be better than in Ethiopia. Rivers and lakes are full of a wide variety of fish, some of extraordinary size. Ethiopia boasts more than 200 species of freshwater fish, including Nile perch, immense catfish, tigerfish, and brown and rainbow trout. Very few Ethiopians are anglers so visitors will find many unspoiled areas where they can fish in peace. A typical day’s fishing may also include the bonus of seeing families of hippo, giant crocodiles, or pink clouds of flamingos.

Bird Watching 

Ethiopia’s Rift Valley lakes, highland massifs, lowlands and semi-deserts provide the varied terrain to support and amazing variety of birds. The country’s position and terrain   has enabled the evolution of many birds of the region into unique forms and species. Ethiopia boasts 857 bird species, of which 16 are endemic. Whether in the highland forests or plateaux, on the lakes, or in the lowlands, Ethiopia is an ornithological paradise for bird watchers. 

Paragliding 

Paragliding looks set to become the latest feature of Ethiopia’s burgeoning adventure tourism. Ethiopia has the ideal terrain and a number of tour companies are adding this sport to their activities. 

Camping

Camping in Ethiopia is almost the only way to visit the most beautiful, undeveloped, and unspoilt areas of the country. Some recognised campsites are provided in National parks and other popular tourist areas, but finding somewhere to camps is seldom a problem. One word of caution: vervet monkeys and baboons are fond of picnics and will enter any open car or tent in a flash! In the national parks and most highland areas, campers may pitch a tent, climb in, and enjoy a good night’s sleep, untroubled by worries of unwelcome night visitors. Country people are for the most part, pacific, hospitable, and cooperative.

Land of Legends…

Ethiopia’s culture and traditions date back over   3 000 years, but human habitation began here much, much earlier. Undoubtedly Ethiopia’s greatest archaeological discovery – and one of the world importance – was the finding, in 1974, of an almost complete hominid skeleton, estimated to be at least 3.5 million years old, at Hadar, in the boulder-strewn volcanic floor of Afar region in the Great Rift Valley. Initially named “Lucy” by the team that found the skeleton, “she” was later given a more fitting Ethiopian name, Kinkenesh, which means “thou art wonderful”.

This is only one of the many major scientific discoveries in the area: only twenty year later, in 1994, that scientist dug up the fossilised remains of a chimpanzee-sized ape from 4.4 million years ago at a site seventy-five kilometres south of where “Lucy” was found. The latest find consisted of the 5.8 million year old fossil named Ramadis Ramadis Kadaba.

The fossilised skeleton of Lucy lies at the Ethiopian National Museum in Addis Ababa, along with many other prehistoric discoveries, including Stone Age tools up to 2.5 million years’ old, and vibrant cave paintings. The area where Dinkenesh was found remains an active archaeological site. But the semi-desert area is inhospitable and visitors must check with the authorities beforehand.

The country’s rich tapestry of history is woven with fascinating facts and legends; the often told tale of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; the journey of the Ark of the Covenant; the growth of the ancient Axumite Kingdom and the birth of Christianity; the later rise of Islam; the story of King Lalibela and the castles of Gondar.

It was on the edge of the Danakil desert, in November 1974, at a place called Hadar, that fossilised remains of the oldest direct human ancestor were discovered. Palaeontologists were able to reconstruct almost the whole skeleton of a single female. This 3.5 million year old human ancestor was dubbed “Lucy”. Lucy was discovered by an American Palaeontologists Donal Johanson.

The lower Awash valley, where Hadar is located, is registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  

The ancient city of Axum, with its many old churches, remarkable Stelae and other relics is claimed to be the last resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.

The ark is hidden away inside a well-guarded chapel, looked after by a single monk, and nobody else is allowed to enter, let alone see it. Axum is strongly linked to the legend of the Queen of Sheba, and there are a number of sites associated with her. On the outskirts of Axum, are the ruins of the so-called Queen of Sheba’s Palace, or Taakha Maryam. This has a still-intact flagstone floor, thought to have been a throne room, and a number of stairwells which hint at the existence of at least one upper storey.

There are also private bathing areas of sophisticated design and a well preserved kitchen dominated by two brick ovens. Across the road are some rough-hewn granite stelae, thought to be older than those in Axum’s Park of the Stelae. The largest is said to mark the grave of the Queen of Sheba, although no excavation has yet taken place to prove, or disprove, the theory.

All seven giant stelae are made of single piece of granite and have identical decoration. At the base of each standing stele is a stone altar containing several bowl-shaped cavities, which it is thought served as receptacles for sacrificial offerings to the dead.

Lutz described the huge granite slab as “a rare and wonderful symbol of Ethiopia’s ancient civilisation, and of African spirituality, which remained in the holy city of Axum for perhaps 2 000 to 3 000 years.

There, a fifteen-main team of British, American and Ethiopia archaeologists led by Cambridge Professor David Phillipson has been engaged on a research project seeking to uncover more of Ethiopia’s prehistory. According to Professor Phillipson as much as ninety-seven per cent of Axum history is “still shrouded in mystery”. His team has excavated graves of ancient kings in the vicinity of the lone giant obelisk that still stands.  

Ethiopia’s earliest known capital, Yeha, less than two hour’s drive from Axum, contains the ruins of a large pre-Christian temple erected around the 5th century BC. The building consists of a single roofless oblong chamber 20 meters by 15 meters. The windowless, 10 metres high walls are built of smoothly polished stones, some of them more than 10 meters long, carefully placed without the use of mortar.

South of Addis Ababa, close to the Awash River, lies Melka Konture, an archaeological site since 1965. Here, at the entrance to a gorge, some two million ago, lived early ancestors of mankind.

They left behind tools, as well as traces of meals and shelters. In the lowest levels pebble tools have been found and, in the higher levels people of the Middle and Late Stone Age have left many examples of two-edged hand axes, obsidian scrapers and set of “bolas” – the round stones tied together to throw at animals.

Fossilised bones of a variety of animals have also been found here. Before visiting Melka Konture it is necessary to check with the Antiquities Administration in Addis Ababa.

Recorded histories in which Ethiopia is mentioned date back more than 4 000 years. The earliest records were compiled by two ancient centres of human civilisation, Persia and Egypt – both of which saw the Horn of Africa as an emporium of much prized tropical products. Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions indicate that the Pharaons obtained frankincense and myrrh from Ethiopia from as long ago as 3 000 years before the birth of Christ.

Ancient contacts such as these nurtured and strengthened the Semetic Culture of northern Ethiopia, creating a Kingdom that dominated the vital crossroads of Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years.

From the 13th to the 16th centuries, intellectual culture continued to flourish in this ancient land with the establishment of monasteries, with writing of successive royal chronicles – invaluable to scholars for the accurate historical records they contain – and the translation of text into Ge’ez. Imperial splendour grew in tandem with these developments and eventually gravitated to the beautiful fortress city of Gondar.

At the same time, Ethiopia’s mercantile Islamic culture rose up side by side with that of the Christians. The town of Harar, in the east of the country, is a fine example of this alternative strand of Ethiopia’s broad and diverse heritage and occupies a proud place of its own along the historic route.  

Permanent Mission of Ethiopia Geneva :

Tel 022 919 70 10 – Fax 022 919 70 29  

Email info@ethiopianmission.ch 

Website www.ethiopianmission.ch 

Contact: Mr. Atnafseged Zeleke

More Information: Geo-Découverte:

Tel 022 716 30 00 – Fax 022 731 08 02 

Email info@geo-decouverte.ch 

Delicacies

Ethiopian cuisine is unique by way of ceremony, flavour, colour and presentation. first decorated metal or clay water jugs are brought to the table and their contents poured over the guests’ outstretched hands into a small bowl below. This cleansing is sometimes followed by a short prayer of thanksgiving.

The first course, which immediately follows this ceremonial aspect of the meal, is usually a mild dish such as curds and whey to cleanse the palate for the more spicy offerings that follow.

Wot, the national dish, comes in many varieties – meat, fish, poultry or vergetable – of hot pepper and spice stews which are almost always accompanied by a fermented form of unleavened bread called injera. Layers of the bread are geometrically positioned in mesobs, or basket tables, and spoonfulls of the different types of wot are then attractively portioned out on top of them. Then it is finger time, tearing off a piece of injera and wripping it around a chosen piece of meat with savoury sauce.

for those not accustomed to such hot foods whose ingredients include red and black pepper, cardamon, garlic and coriander, there is an alternative: alicha is equally delicious but a lot milder and is usually made from chicken or lamb flavoured with green pepper and onions.

Traditional Ethiopian meals are normally washed down with tej, a type of wine made from honey, or tella which is a light, home-brewed beer manufactured from barley. Ethiopia also produces a range of very palatable yet inexpensive red and white wines.

Ethiopians do not traditonally end their meals with a dessert although, it it can be found, a honeycomb dripping with honew is often offered to sooth the heat of the wot. In any event, the end of a meal is not complete without buna, (the Ethiopian word for coffee), the world’s favourite beverage which actually originated in Ethiopia about a thousand years ago.

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Bahar Dar

For centuries Bahar Dar has been a place of commercial importance. Situated on Lake Tana’s south-eastern shore, it is the starting point of any visit to the Blue Nile Falls. The visitor will no doubt see tankwas on the lake shore. Still standing is the building erected by the Jesuit Pero Paes, which can be seen in the compound of Saint George’s church. Emperor Haile Selassie’s modest palace is on a small hill to the right of the road after the bridge. Bahar Dar, though bustling and pretty, is often looked at as just a base from which to visit the area’s two main attractions: the Blue Nile Falls and Lake Tana.

The town today, with its wide, palm-lined avenues and gardens, overflows with tropical vegetation.

Bahar Dar’s two markets are worth a visit – one displaying colourful woven cloth and a wide range of supplies (including coffee), and the other, a roadside market specialising in baskets. These markets make it a comfortable base for excursions – either by land or water.  

Gondar & its Fairytale Castles

 Gondar, once the Ethiopian capital, was home to a number of emperors and warlords, courtiers and kings. Gaze down from the balconies of the many castles and palaces to imagine the intrigue and pageantry that took place back in the 17th and 18th centuries of this great city.

The graceful city of Gondar, founded by Emperor Fasilidas, became the capital of the Ethiopian empire around 1635. This settlement, which became Fasilida’s principal headquarters, grew into an important town, and remained Ethiopia’s capital, and most popular city, for over two centuries.

Fasilidas endowed his capital with a sizeable palace, known as the Fasil gemb, or Fasil building. It was larger and more impressive than any structure in Ethiopia up to that time.

Fasilidas, who reputedly constructed many other buildings and bridges in the city, was succeeded by his son, Emperor Yohannes (1667-1682), and later by his grandson, Iyasu I (168-1706), both of whom built more palaces in the vicinity of Fasil gemb. Iyasu’s most lasting achievement, was the church of Debre Berhan Selassie, the ligh of the Trinity, which stands, surrounded by a high wall. The inside is marvellously painted with great scenes from religious history.

Apart from the famous castle in the royal compound, visitors should inspect the so-called bathing palace of the Emperor. This two storey crenelated stone structure has a flat roof and two wooden balconies.

It is set in the middle of a large rectangular bath, reminiscent of a modern swimming-pool, which was traditionally filled with water brought by pipe from the nearby Qaha River. It was intended for the Timket (Epiphany) celebrations which commemorated the Baptism of Christ – a use to which the bath is put to this day.

Several more palaces were raised by both Yohannes I and Iyasu I. They later built a large two-storey crenelated structure beside that of their grandfather Fasilidas.

The reigns of the first three Gondarine rulers thus witnessed a steady expansion of the city, in the course of which an imperial quarter came into existence.

Gondar is a town of fairy-tale medieval castles and is noted for the design and decoration of its churches, masterpieces of the Gondarine School of Art. The palaces, which were constructed from stone in the form of crenelated castles, are of a significant distinctive design.

Flanked by twin mountain streams Gondar retains an atmosphere of antique charm mingled with an aura of mystery. The city was once a vigorous and vital centre of religious learning and art. Painting and music, dance and poetry, together with skilled instructions in these and many other disciplines, thrived for more than two hundred years. Fasilidas and his successors saw their elegant capital as a renaissance of Ethiopian culture and so patronised the arts.

The fascination with painting, mainly expressed through church murals, icons, illuminated manuscripts and scrolls, has remained. Religious themes dominate all but the most recent Ethiopian art.

It is also worth visiting the ruins of the palace and abbey of the redoubtable 18th century Empress Mentewab at Quesquam overlooking Gondar. The royal compound, like that at Gondar proper, contains a number of buildings. The largest was apparently used for receptions and served as headquarters of the garrison. The palace compound was surrounded by a “high outer-wall”, which was about a mile in circumference, with outer precincts all occupied by soldiers, labourers and outdoor servants. Quesquam is a wonderful and historic place. Outside the palace compound, a second important building constructed during Iyasu’s reign is the church of Debre Birhan Selassie (or light of Trinity), which stands on raised ground to the north west of the city. This is the finest of the Gondarine churches, with its ceiling decorated with many winged angels. In the old days it was surmounted by a gold cross, which is now gone. However, original walls painted from top to bottom with scenes of Biblical lore and medieval history are well preserved.

Because of its extensive population, and the considerable patronage,  both state and church, Gondar emerged as a major handicraft centre. Many of the city’s principal artisans come from minority groups. Falasha (Jewish) craftsmen include blacksmiths, weavers and masons, and their womenfolk are potters. Muslim craftsmen are mainly weavers and tent-makers, some of whom also served as tent carriers and carpenters.

The small town of Debark, 101 kilometers to the north of Gondar, provides a base from which to explore the simien Mountains. Visitors to the unforgettable mountains are able to see animals such as the Gelada baboon and Simien wolf, which are unique to Ethiopia. The edge of the gorges form the perfect habitat for the Walia Ibex. 

 

Lake Tana

Covering more than 3 600 square kilometres, Lake Tana is Ethiopia’s largest lake. Known to the ancient Greeks as Pseboa, its sometimes stormy waters are traversed by reed boats, called tankwas. The blue Nile river flows out of the lake with tremendous force and volume over the basalt shoulder in a giant cataract and onwards from there, ever downward through dark and angry defiles, towards the deserts of the Sudan on its way to enrich Egypt’s fertile delta.  

The power of the Blue Nile may best be appreciated just thirty kilometres downstream from the point where the river first leaves Lake Tana. There, a rumble of sound fills the air and the green fields and low hills on either bank tremble to the Blue Nile Falls. It is one of the most dramatic spectacles on either the White or Blue Nile, a vision of natural strength and grandeur. 

Four hundred meters wide in flood, the Blue Nile plunges forty-five meters down a sheer chasm to throw up a continuous mist that drenches the countryside up to a kilometre away. in turn, this gentle deluge produces rainbows that shimmer across the gorge under the changing arc of the sun – and a perennial rainforest. The pillar of mist in the sky above seen from afar, explains the local name for the falls – water that smokes. Tis Isat. 

The approach to the falls leads through Tis Isat village where travellers find themselves surrounded by a retinue of youthful guides. From the village the footpath meanders beside open and fertile fields before it drops into a deep basaltic drift spanned by a fortified seventeenth century stone bridge built by Portuguese adventurers. 

A stiff climb up a grassy hillside under the blue and breathless sky follows. Finally, the falls come into view, the smooth, majestic edge of the rolling Nile breaking into a thundering cataract of white water foaming and breaking down a dark cliff. 

Rivailling the attraction of the Blue Nile Falls are the thirty-seven islands of Lake Tana. Some twenty of these islands shelter churches and monasteries of significant historical and cultural interest. Because of their isolation they were used to store art treasures and religious relics from all parts of the country. 

Kibran Gabriel, the nearest monastery to Bahar Dar, is renowned for a magnificent manuscript to the Four gospels which is believed to date back to at least the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century. 

Access for some of the churches is closed to women, who are allowed to land on the banks of the island but not permitted to proceed further. However, women are permitted to visit churches on Zeghe Peninsula and nearby church of Ura Kidane Mehret, as well as Narga Sellassie. the traveller with time, could spend weeks exploring the treasures of Lake Tana and its many islands. 

Ethiopia’s first two-storey building is situated within the precincts of the modern Ethiopian Orthodox church of St George beside the lake. the fine old structure was built in the early seventeenth century by a Spanish Jesuit, Pero Paes, who came to try to convert the country to Catholicism. 

Ura Kidane Mehret is more decorative with a huge conical thatched roof and is painted with scenes from Biblical lore. 

The third principal attraction is daga Istanfanos, considered one of the most sacred on Lake Tana, and said to have served as a temporary hiding place for the Ark of the Covenant. On this stands the church of St Stephanos which houses the Holy Madonna painted around 1434. The real historic interest lies in its treasury where there are glass-sided coffins containing the mummified remains of several of the former emperors of Ethiopia. 

A beautiful and unusual place, Tana Kirkos is completely covered by dense green shrubbery, flowering trees and tall casts plants. Beautifully illuminated scrolls and leather bound books with leather pages hand-lettered in Ge’ez are kept there.  

The Great Rift Valley and its Lakes

The Great Rift Valley, which extends from the Middle East to Mozambique, passes right through Ethiopia, endowing the country with some spectacular features that range from hot, dry, and barren places to a string of beautiful lakes. Volcanic activity, which greatly contributed to the formation of the Rift Valley, continues up to present times.

In Ethiopia, it finds expression in the presence of hot springs in many parts of the country, as well as volcanic cones in the Danakil Depression in the north-east.

Much further south, between and far below the two escarpments, ie the glittering watery jewels of Lake awasa, Lake Shala, Lake Abijatta, Lake Langano and Lake Ziway: Ethiopia’s Rift Valley Riviera.

LAKE ZIWAY  

Some 160 kilometres south of Addis Ababa lies Ziway, the northernmost and largest lake in the chain which extends over 434 square kilometres. Its extensive aquatic vegetation attracts a variety of water birds. commonly seen and easily identified are the long-tailed cormorant, darter, and various herons and storks – including the distinctive saddlebill stork. Wading through the water lilies are long-toed marsh birds such as the greater jacana. The handsome African fish eagle, green pigeon, black-headed oriole, wood hoopoe and barbet are also Ziway residents.

 Five islands dot the surface of the lake; at least three of thse were sites for mdieval churches.

LAKE LANGANO

The copper coloured Lake Langano is 210 kilometres south of Addis Ababa. This bilharziafree lake is a popular resort for swimming, aquatic sports, sunbathing, camping and bird-watching. along the shores cliff dwellers and acacia-inhabiting birds set up a noisy chatter, including fan tailed ravens and hornbills – most notably Hemprich’s hornbill. Helmet shrikes are also found in great number, alson with butcher-birds.

The 4 000 meter-high Arsi mountains to the east of Langano provide a lovely stage behind which the morning sun rises. Oromo women in the area sell copper or brass bracelets, bead necklaces and milk pots decorated with cowries shells.

LAKE ABIJATTA

Roughly parallel with Langano, but on the western side of the main north-south road, is Lake Abijatta – justly the most famous for its birdlife of all the Rift Valley lakes. This is a shallow lake, only 0 meters deep, lying in a gracelly-curved basin of land set amidst low hills. Its alkaline waters attract flamingos in their thousands – sky birds that, at human approach, rise from their feeding grounds along the shore into brilliant pink and red flight. Other bird species include African fish eagles, egyptian geese and white-necked cormorants, marabou storks and sacred ibis, various plover species and herons.

LAKE SHALAA

little to the south of Langano is Lake Shala. with a surface area of 409 square kilometres, the lake reaches a depth of up to 250 meters and is rimmed with jagged peaks and imposing rock formations that give it a rather strange and mysterious air. In the south-west corner of the lake is the mouth of a small stream that winds back into the hills under a canopy of giant wild fig trees and acacias. Here, tall Oromo herdsmen, with the handsome dignified bearing of biblical patriarchs, bring their cattle down to graze in surroundings of pastoral tranquillity. Lake Shala’s islands are used as breeding sties by many birds including the continent’s most important breeding colony of great white pelicans.  

LAKE AWASA

The peaceful Lake Awasa lies just south of the town of Shashemene with the town of Awasa on its shore. A gentle chanin of mountains and a low plateaux surround the lake, opening to a wide, low bay in the south. Swampy bays are interspersed with volcanic rocks, sandy shores with bare rocky hills, and every formation of terrain imaginable can be found near Awasa.the lake – around 21 meters deep and 62 kilometres in circumference – teems with a great variety of fish and as elsewhere in the Rift Valley, many species of birds.A local fishing community, using small boats and simple nets and lures, thrives on the stock, as do many species of birds – storks and herons in particular which can be seen wading watchfully in the shallows.