Historical Attraction
Ethiopia, the oldest independent nation in Africa, has a heritage dating back to first century AD. Traders from Greece, Rome, Persia and Egypt knew of the riches of what is now Ethiopia, and by the first century AD, Axum was the capital of a great Empire. This realm became one of the first Christian lands of Africa. Late in the 10th century, Axum, Lalibela and Gondar now provide our greatest historical legacy. It was in the 16th century that the son of the great explorer Vasco Da Gama came to Ethiopia, but then found a land of many kingdoms and provinces beset by feuds and wars.
Legend has it that Emperor Menelik 1, the son of the Queen of Sheba and king Solomon, brought the Ark of the covenant from Jerusalem to Axum, where he settled and established one of the world’s longest known, uninterrupted monarchical dynasties.
This is only example of Ethiopia’s magnificent history, which encompasses legend and tradition, mystery and fact, from a powerful and religious ancient civilization. The well- trodden path through Ethiopia’s famous and fascinating historic places takes you through a scenically magnificent word of fairy-tale names, such as Lalibela, Gondar, Debre Damo and Bahar Dar. The following are some of Ethiopian historical attractions.
BAHAR DAR
Bahar Dar, the next stop, is 578 Kilometers from Addis Ababa, and is located on the southern shores of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, with its ancient islands monasteries and both the Blue and the White Nile’s most spectacular feature, the Tis Isat waterfalls. On the island of Dega Estefanos, you will find the church of Saint Stefanos which has a priceless collection of icons and manuscripts and houses the mummified remains of a number of Ethiopian Emperors.
The colorful markets and a variety of handicrafts and weaving centers also make it a comfortable base for excursion by land or water. Bahar Dar port provides access by boat to a number of historic lake-side churches and monasteries near and far. Most date from the 17th century and have beautifully painted walls. Many such places of worship now have fascinating museum, at which the visitors can see priceless illustrated manuscripts, historic crowns and fine royal and ecclesiastical robes. Some monastic islands are forbidden to women, but others can be visited by both genders.
Visitors to Bahar Dar can also see tankwas locally made canoes, made out of the papyrus reeds growing by the lake shore, as well as a historic old building erected in St. Georges church compound by the 17th century Spanish Jesuit, Pero Paes.
AXUM
The ruins of the ancient city of Axum are located close to Ethiopia's northern border. They mark the location of the heart of ancient Ethiopia, when the Kingdom of Axum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia. The massive ruins, dating from between the 1st and 13th centuries, include monolithic obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs and the ruins of ancient castles. Long after its political decline in the 10th century, Ethiopian emperors continued to be crowned in Axum.
Beginning around the 2nd millennium BCE and continuing until the 4th century CE there was immigration into the Ethiopian region. The immigrants came mostly from a region of western Yemen associated with the Sabean culture. Conditions in their homelands were most probably so harsh that the only means of escape was by a direct route across the Red Sea into Eritrea. By the 4th century, Axum was already at its peak in land sovereignty, which included most of southern Yemen.
The city of Axum emerged several centuries before the birth of Christ, as the capital of a state that traded with ancient Greece, Egypt and Asia. With its fleets sailing as far field as Ceylon, Axum later became the most important power between the Roman Empire and Persia, and for a while controlled parts of South Arabia. Axum, whose name first appears in the 1st century AD in the Periplus of the Eritrean Sea, is considered to be the heart of ancient Ethiopia. Indeed, the kingdom which held sway over this area at this time took its name from the city. The ruins of the site spread over a large area and are composed of tall, obelisk-like stelae of imposing height, an enormous table of stone, vestiges of columns and royal tombs inscribed with Axumite legends and traditions. In the western sector of the city there are also the ruins of three castles from the 1st century AD.
The earliest records and legends suggest that it was from Axum that Makeda, the fabled Queen of Sheba, journeyed to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem. A son was born to the queen from her union with Solomon. This son, Menelik I, grew up in Ethiopia but traveled to Jerusalem as a young man, where he spent several years before returning to his own country with the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark, according to Ethiopian belief, has remained in Axum ever since (in an annex to the Church of St Mary of Zion).
In addition to the old St Mary of Zion church, there are many other remains in Axum dating back to pre- and early Christian times. Among these, a series of inscriptions on stone tablets have proved to be of immense importance to historians of the ancient world. They include a trilingual text in Greek, Sabaean (the language of South Arabia) and Ge'ez (classical Ethiopian), ordered by King Ezana in the 4th century AD, along with the 3,000-year-old stelae and obelisks. The standing obelisk rises to a height of over 23 m and is exquisitely carved to represent a nine-storey building in the fashion of the 'tower-houses' of southern Arabia.
Axum inherited a culture highly influenced by southern Arabia. The Axumites' language, Ge'ez, was a modified version of the southern Arabian rudiments, with admixtures of Greek and perhaps Cushitic tongues already present in the region. Their architectural art was inherited from southern Arabian art; some Axumite artwork contained combinations of Middle Eastern deities.
From its capital on the Tigray Plateau, Axum was in command of the ivory trade with Sudan. It also dominated the trade route leading south and the port of Adulis on the Gulf of Zola. Its success depended on resourceful techniques, the production of coins, steady migrations of Graeco-Roman merchants and ships landing at the port of Adulis. In exchange for Axum's goods, traders offered many kinds of cloth, jewellery and metals, especially steel for weapons.
At its peak, Axum controlled territories as far as southern Egypt, east to the Gulf of Aden, south to the Omo River, and west to the Cushite Kingdom of Meroë. The South Arabian kingdom of the Himyarites was also under the control of Axum. Unlike the nobility, the people used salt and iron bars as money and barter remained their main source of commerce.
LALIBELA (World Heritage)
Queen Gudit was born in Lasta (Agew region) near Lalibela. Her father was a Felasha (Beta Israel or Jewish) king called Gideon. It is said that at that time the Felashas refused to pay taxes to the Axumite kingdom and the king of Axum sent troops to the Felasha regions and forced them to pay taxes. The Axumites raids frustrated the Felashas. In tenth century, Queen Gudit united the Felashas, and marched on Axum to try to remove Christianity and the Axumite dynasty from Ethiopia once and for all. She destroyed Axum, overthrew and killed the King and Princes ending the Axumite kingdom. This led to the rise of the "Zagwe Dynasty". Queen Gudit is remembered as evil and a destroyer of churches. This period of history is known in Ethiopian tradition as "end of the first millennium".
Following Queen Gudit's campaign against Aksum, Marara Teklehaimanot formally founded the "Zagwe Dynasty" in 1137. He became the first Zagwe King and ruled from Lasta. In 1270, the Zagwe Dynasty ended and Yekuno Amlak took the throne and restored the "Solomonic Dynasty".
Lalibela-stands on soft red volcanic rock and was originally known as Roha. It was later renamed Lalibela when King Lalibela was credited with building the rock-hewn churches there in the twelfth century. Lalibela is now regarded as one of the greatest Ethiopian architectural wonders and is ranked the eighth most incredible historical site in the world by UNESCO. Axum and Lalibela have in common architectural and stone works, which illustrate Ethiopian civilization at great length.
In Lalibela there are 11 churches cut out of solid red volcanic rock, which are constructed to represent Jerusalem. The churches are divided into Northern and Eastern groups of churches by a rock-cut channel (river) called Yordannos (Jordan River) and connected by narrow and deep passages. Bieta Medhane Alem is the largest and most impressive monolithic church. Of all the churches, Bieta Giyorgis (Saint George) is particularly stunning and beautiful, situated apart from the other churches to the west, intricately carved into the shape of a cross. All the churches are still used as places of worship.
GONDAR (the Camelot of Africa)
The next stop on the historic route is the graceful city of Gondar, founded by Emperor Fasilidas in 1635. The city was Ethiopia’s capital until the reign of the would be reforming Emperor Tewodros II, also known as Theodore. During its long years as a capital, the settlement emerged as one of the largest and most popular cities in the realm. It was a great commercial centre, trading with the rich lands south of the Blue Nile, as well as with Sudan to the west, and the red sea port of Massawa to the North-east.
Gondar is famous for its many mediaeval castles and the design and decoration of its churches. The earliest of the castles was created by Fasilidas himself and is still in such an excellent state of repair that it is possible to climb its stairs all the way to the roof, which commands a breathtaking view over much of the city. Besides the famous palaces, visitors should inspect the so-called ‘Bathing Palace of Emperor Facilidas’, which is used for the annual Timket or Epiphany celebrations, and the abbey of the redoubtable 18th century Empress Mentewab at Qwesquam, in the mountains just out side Gondar. Also this medieval royal city has many things to offer for visitors; the imperial enclosure, the ancient monasteries, the Felasha village, the Fasil bridge and the culture of the people. The Simien mountain National Park and Lakes Tana’s northern shore are also found with a short distance.
MEKELE
Mekele is situated on the bottom of hills, and was founded by Emperor Yohannes IV as his capital when he relocated his power base from Debra Berhane to Mekele in 1881. Yohannes built a number of churches including the churches of Saint Teklehaimanot, Medhane Alem and Kidane Mihret during the 1870s and a palace, which is now a museum, in the 1880s.
Mekele is a useful base from which to visit the rock-hewn churches around Tigray such as the Churches of "Abraha wa Atsebah" in Wukro.
Mekele is an important city for the Tigrayan economy. It is the terminus of the salt caravan route from the Danakil Depression (Danakil Desert), where the slabs of salt are mined in the Arho region and transported by camel back caravans to Mekele. Salt merchants come to Mekele market from all over the country.
DEBRE DAMO
Debre Damo monastery is situated on an isolated mountain in northern part of Tigray. It is unique compared with most Ethiopian monasteries. Debre Damo was built, in the sixth century AD, with curved wood panels, painted ceilings and walls dedicated to the legend of Saint (Abune) Aregawi. The history of Debre Damo is centred on the "Nine Saints" who came to Ethiopia from Syria to spread Christianity in the Tigray region. One of them was Saint Aregawi who settled on the mountain of Debre Damo. The other eight saints settled around Tigray countryside and all have their own church named after them.
Debre Damo is magnificent in terms of its location and extensive collection of priceless manuscripts that have remained intact until today. It has become a prominent monastic and educational centre for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Many books have been written there and distributed to churches throughout Ethiopia.
Debre Damo is only accessible by climbing up by a rope, which is made of "plaited leather", lowered from the cliffs, which visitors tie around their waist and are then pulled up by a monk at the top of the cliffs. It is only accessible to men and male animals. Women and even female animals are forbidden to set a foot into the monastery, and must remain under the cliffs and pray from there.
The feast of Saint (Abune) Aregawi is celebrated on October 14 Ethiopian calendar (October 24 Gregorian calendar) which culminates in a pilgrimage to Debre Damo from all over the country.
YEHA (Ethiopia’s oldest town)
Yeha, in the administrative region of Tigrai, was possibly Ethiopia’s oldest major settlement. An hour-a-half’s drive from the ancient city of Axum, with at least one obligatory photo stop on the journey, it is little more than five kilometers from the modern commercial centre of Adwa. Yeha, which is set amid imposing mountain scenery, is well worth visiting. It is the site of the country’s most ancient temple, a remarkable huge stone structure, and a fine and richly endowed Ethiopian church of more modern times. The ancient city of Yeha was first described in the early 16th century by the intrepid Portuguese traveler Francisco Alvares, who was struck, like so many foreign visitors after him, by the age-old temple. He described it as ‘a very large and handsome tower, both for its height and the good workmanship of its walls’.
It had, he adds, ‘the look of a regal building, all of well-hewn stone, and was surrounded by good houses, which match well with it, and good walls and terraces above, like the residences of Great Lords’.
The good houses, ‘like the residence of Great Lords’, have long since disappeared, but the ‘very large and handsome tower’, in fact all that remains of a rectangular temple dating back to pre-Christianity times, is still standing, more or less perhaps as Alvares saw it almost half a millennium ago.
This fine old building, according to the 19th-century German scholar Heinrich Muller, probably dates back to about 700 or 800 years before the birth of Christ. The temple stands on a small hill, at the foot of a nearby mountain, with a reasonably sized village of traditional Tigray-style houses nearby. The temple, which is reminiscent of those in Yemen and other parts of south Arabia, consists of large smoothly polished stone blocks, some as much as 300 centimetres long, neatly placed one above or beside another, without any apparent use of mortar. The roof and the west wall are both missing, but several square holes in the remaining walls toward the east of the structure indicate where partitions, probably of wood, once stood.
HARAR
No journey along Ethiopia’s fabled historic route would be complete without a visit to the mediaeval walled city of Harar, which stands amid green mountains on the east wall of the Great Rift Valley. Harar’s heritage is almost entirely Muslim and Oriental.
Harar has probably always had a great deal more in common with the Horn’s coastal culture than with the life of the highlands – and it remains to this day a certain redolence of the Orient. The most dominant features, apart from its strong encircling walls, is its rich and exciting market place - probably the most colorful in Ethiopia. Its Islamic character is best expressed in the Grand Mosque (Al Jami), which dominates the town.
Rightly renowned for its intricately worked filigree jeweler of silver, gold, and amber, Harar’s Megalo Gudo market is also a centre for beautiful baskets of woven grass, decorative wall-mats and bright shawis, as well as all the fruit, vegetables, spices and grains of the province. The city also known for the ‘Hyena Man’ spectacle – men mouth feed hyena in the evening as a way of making a living and exciting. Harar’s five gates – the only means to enter or leave the city centre – have been strongly guarded over the years.