Ethiopia: an Introduction

Known as ‘Eastern ear of Africa’, Ethiopia is located at the eastern part of African region. The country has been much fabled with its centuries of history of rich culture. ‘Lucy’, the oldest man’s skeleton and the discovery of the oldest known modern human fossil ‘Homo sapiens idaltu’- that lived possibly 160,000 years ago, cave painting, earliest stone-tools, incised slabs of rock and many other findings justify the country as the cradle of humankind and the first birth place of civilization.

Ethiopia with its long history, diverse environment and mosaic culture has its earlier days alive in the form of fascinating monuments and the ruins built long long ago. Traveling in the country means a partial experience of the remote world. Visiting Ethiopia would be successful when the tour includes historic route of the country, most of which comprises the Amhara National Regional State. The Amhara National Regional State has three of the seven UNESCO world heritage sites in Ethiopia. Touring through these world heritage sites in the region, there are various historic and natural tourist attraction spots.

Magnificent World Heritage Sites of the Amhara National Regional State:

The Amhara National Regional State being one of the nine regional states established in Ethiopia on the basis of the 1994 constitution of the country houses the three most magnificent World Heritage sites. 1) Simen Mountains National Park 2) Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela 3) Fassil-Gebbi Castles of Gonder.

Simen Mountains National Park :

Simen (literally means north) is the most marvelous of Ethiopian landscapes lying mainly to the north east of Gondor town. The Simen Highlands comprise one of the major mountain massifs in Africa. In the Simen Mountains national Park and the surroundings areas are many summits that rise up to more than 4000 meters above sea level. Ras Dashen, the highest peak (4620 meters) is the first highest mountain in Ethiopia and the fourth in Africa.

Apart from its marvelous scenery The Simen Mountains National park is endowed with exquisite flora and fauna, indigenous animals like Simen Fox, Walia Ibex and Chilada Baboon as well as several bird and plants.

To get to the Simen Mountains National Park one has to drive down to a gate town called ‘Debarq’. Debarq about 101 kilometers away from the famous Gondor town is a final departure point where tourists could get ready to start trekking.

The marvelous scenic beauties of the park and its outskirts have always filled visitors with awe. The traditional life style of the rural population and their mere survival in a harsh climate and with scarce natural resources make for the most striking impressions a visitor will have when trekking in the park and its surrounding rural area.

Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela:

Lalibela is a small town on a mountain slope between 2500 and 2800 meters above sea level. Previously known as ‘Roha’ it is named after the king and well known for its rock-hewn churches that are believed to have been carved to form a New Jerusalem after the Moslem Conquest halted the Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. The creation of the churches is ascribed to one of the last kings of the Zague Dynasty, Lalibela 1167-1207 A.D.

Lalibela, the 2^nd capital of the ancient Ethiopian empire of the north and graced with beautiful setting on the mountains of Lasta has a distinctively unique African atmosphere.

These world heritage churches are eleven in number- Beta Golgotha, Beta Mikael / Debre Sina, Beta Mariam, Beta Emanuel, Beta Mercurios, Beta Abba – Libanos and Beta Gabriel-Rufael.

Similar but not identical rock-hewn churches carved before and after the Lalibela Churches are also found in different parts of the region. The past unique and interesting culture of the people is still alive and is manifested in Lalibela partly on Christmas and Epiphany celebrations. The birth day of king Lalibela coincides with that of Jesus Christ at Christmas. This heightens the zeal of the celebrants and the aura of the celebration at Lilabela. According to the Ethiopian calendar, Christmas falls on the 29^th day of “Tahisas”, that is between 6^th and 9^th day of January.

For Christmas celebration at Lalibela the volume of pilgrims and tourists from near and far starts on the day of Tahisas. The Amharic (Ethiopia’s official language) rendering of Epiphany is Timqat. It is a symbolic celebration of the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. Timqat which falls on the 11^th day of “Tir” that is between 18^th and 19^th of January is invariably celebrated throughout the nation by people from all walks of life.

Fassil-Gebbi Castles of Gonder :

Gondor is positioned in North Western Ethiopia, at about 750 and 175 kilometers away from Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar respectively. Though its heydays are past, Gondor is still one of Ethiopia’s most fascinating cities. The town is well noted for its centuries old castles, palaces and Orthodox churches. With an average altitude 2200m above sea level, it stands at the foot of Simen Mountains. It can be reached by land or air. Being in a landscape of incomparable beauty, the town became the first permanent royal capital of Ethiopia in the 17^th century.

Founded by Emperor Fassiledas (Fassil) in 1636, who built the first and most famous of the castles, the city had been the seat of the Ethiopian States for about 250 years. The foundation of this imperial city witnessed a period of optimism and renaissance of the ‘golden days of Axum and Lalibela’. Architecture, Literature, Music, paintings and commerce rose to prominences that had been perished after the fall of Axum.

Most of the castles which are found within an enclosure known “fassil –Gebbi (fassil compound) represent the 17^th and 18^th century’s Ethiopian civilization .These crenellated castles encapsulate the exacting work of medieval architecture exclusively circumscribed to the rulers of the time. The erection of the castles is attributed to about six Ethiopian medieval rulers. The Fassil compound within fortified walls has six major buildings and three historic churches as wells as traces of houses of cavalry and thermal establishment.

The two-storied castle of Fassiledas, the largest of all, with a rectangular corner towers three smaller doomed towers and two meters thick stonewall, was from the beginning so impressive and ranks as one of the most marvelous buildings. Another edifice of the same era, the Fassil Bath, built near a river is about 2kms far from the centre of the town.

The pool is empty most o the time but is filled with water brought through the canal once each year on Timket festival (Ethiopian Epiphany). Outside the palace compound are found culturally and historically important buildings such as the place of Michael Suhul erected towards the end of the 18^th century, the Debre Birhan Sellasie Church and the Kusquam Church. The Debre Berhan Sellasie church, established in the 17^th century by Iyasu the Great, the grandson of Emperor Fassil, has its interior beautifully decorated from top to bottom with innumerable scenes of biblical lore and medieval history mural paintings. It also contains ornamented crosses plus illustrated manuscripts.

Kusquam like the church of Debre Berhan Selassie has beautiful murals, ornamented crosses and illustrated manuscripts. It was built during the time of Empress Mintwab, 18^th century, originally planned as a private quarter for the Empress in her late years.

Many interesting excursions can be made from the city south to the shore of Lake Tana at Gorgora where other ancient castles and monasteries are located.