HISTORIC ETHIOPIA

Mountains and Gorges, Mystery and Grandeur

Legend has it that Emperor Menelik I, the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, brought the Ark of the convenant from Jerusalem to Axum where he settled and established one of the world's longest known monarchical uninterrupted dynasties.

This is only one 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 world of fairy-tale names such as Axum, Lalibela, Gondar, Debre Damo and Bahar Dar.

Travelling the route by plane, by car or both, will offer you a glimpse into a truly remarkable past. As well as the many priceless histrocial relics, you will also see the castles at Gondar, the churches of Lalibela hewn out of the living rock, the mysterious giant stelae at Axum, the ruins of the Queen of Sheba's Palace, and the monastery at Debre Damo whose access is limited to men and then only by way of a rope lowered by the friendly monks above.

• Historic Route
• Debre Libanos

Following the historic route north from Addis Ababa the first stop is Debre Libanos, 110 Kms north of the capital. Here you can find reminders of Saint Tekle Haymanot, the 14th century holy man, who stood on one leg for 7 years in a cave at Debre Libanos. A wonderful modern cathedral marks this spot, the center of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for hundreds of years. Nearby and old 'Portuguese Bridge' is visible from the main road.
• Debre Markos

Taking the historic route north from Addis Ababa the first stop is Debre Markos, 305 Kms north of the capital and also accessible by air three times a week with Ethiopian Airlines. Here you will find the nineteenth century church of Markos (Saint Mark) with its pale but beautiful paintings depicting scenes of biblical and religious history.
• Bahar Dar
  Bahar Dar, the next stop, 560 Kms from Addis Ababa, has daily Ethiopian airlines flights, a number of good hotels, and is located on the southern shores of Lake Tana. This is the source of the Blue Nile, with its most spectacular feature, the Tis Isat waterfalls. Many of the Lake Tana islands have historic Churches, such as the island of Dega. On the island of Dega Estefanos you will find the monastery of Dek Stefanos which has a priceless collection of icons and manuscripts and houses the mummified remains of a number of Ethiopian emperors.
• Gondar

748 Kms along the route from the capital you will come to Gondar which is also served daily by Ethiopian Airlines and has some good hotels. The oldest and most impressive of Gondar's many imperial structures is the palace of Emperor Fasilidas, said to have been built by an Indian architect. There are also numerous other fascinating historical buildings and relics to be seen in the area. One of the most spectacularly painted churches in Ethiopia, Debre Berhan Selassie can be seen here.
• Axum

Axum, with good hotels and daily flights by Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, 1,005 Kms to the north, is the northern most stop along the route and the site of Ethiopia's most ancient city. It is renowned for its cathedral of St. Mary of Zion where, as legend has it, the original Ark of the Covenant is housed. Axum is also famous for its seven mysterious monolithic stelae, all made of single pieces of granite, and three with identical decorations. The biggest of these, measuring thirty-three meters and weighing over 500 tones, was the largest monolith in the world but fell at some remote period in the past. En route to Axum you will pass Ras Dashen which, at 4,543 meters, is Africa's fourth highest mountain.
• Lalibela

The last stop on the route is Lalibela, 642 Kms from the capital, with good hotels and with daily flights by Ethiopian Airlines: Though not much more than a village now, Lalibela is internationally - renowned for its rock-hewn churches which are sometimes called the "Eight wonder of the World". Physically prized from the rock in which they stand, these towering edifices seem to be of superhuman creation in scale, workmanship and concept.
• Harar

Off the Oval-shaped, almost north-south historical route, is Harar, 523 Kms due east of Addis Ababa. While the town has a reasonable hotel, most people prefer to stay in Dire Dawa, 54 Kms away along the road to Addis Ababa. The most dominant feature of Harar are its strong encircling walls which tightly embrace the town, its rich and exciting market place-probably the most colorful in Ethiopia-and its 99 Mosques. Harar is believed to be the 4th holiest city in Islam, after Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem.
• Ethiopian Festivals
  Ethiopia has a number of festivals throughout the year starting with, Tseday, which is the time of the Ethiopian New Year which falls on Meskerem 1 or September 10/11. This is also the beginning of the harvest season, which is a time of parties and weddings.
  The most unusual of the Country's festivals are Kulubi Gabriel, Sheikh Hussein, Gishen Mariam and Sof Omar. Huge crowds arrive to pray for their health, for a new baby, for a special favor, for a good harvest or to give thanks for wishes already granted.

One important festival is Meskal which falls on September 27 th and which celebrates the discovery of the true cross by St. Helena, the wife of Constantine the Great. Vast bonfires are lit countrywide the night before the celebration and, on the day itself, there are dances and feasts for everybody present.

Ethiopia's most celebrated festival is Timket, the Epiphany, which falls on January 19th and is the easiest for visitors to witness and enjoy. The holy Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, is removed from each Church around the country the day before the celebration and taken to a central area where the ceremony will take place. The following morning the Church officials, resplendant in their gorgeous regalia, assemble around the Tabot and sprinkle holy water over all the Christians present and receive the renewals of their Vows. After this is done the congregation follows the bishops, elders and clergy as the Tabot is carried back to the Church from whence it came.

The most solemn of Ethiopia's festivals is at Easter when the celebrations include the Sacred Music and dance which is unique to the Church, and which are later accompanied by the most solemn and moving rituals during the midnight mass.

• Food and Drinks
  With so many peoples, the food and drink of Ethiopia reflect the many different cultures.
  A typical dish is Wot, a hot spicy stew of meat or vegetables, seasoned with a blend of Berbere. It is often made with Doro (Chicken), and normally served with INJERA, the traditional spongy pancake made from a fermented teff flour batter.
  In most good restaurants, or in the local BUNA BET or Coffeehouse, you will find delicious dishes that reflect the customs and the ingredients of the region.

In Addis Ababa, as in most of the larger cities, visitors will also find a wide range of other restaurants that reflect the influences of other Cuisines. All large hotels have international restaurants, but out in the city you can tempt your taste buds in Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Italian, French, Greek and other restaurants.

Ethiopia produces its own wines. Dukam and Gouder are fine reds, while Axumite is sweeter. Crystals is our dry white wine. Our famous honey wine or tej is found all over the Country as is tella, a local beer and Katikala, distilled liquor.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT:
ETHIOPIAN TOURISM COMMISSION
Website:WWW.Visitethiopia.Org