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Africa
Travel Newsletters> Ethiopia
- A Diamond in the Rough > Page 2
1.1 Ethiopia - A
Diamond in the Rough
 It
is in Axum that the Ethiopian system of writing known as Ge'ez
emanated. The Ge'ez alphabet, which has an amazing 231 letters,
is thought to have come with immigrants from southern Arabia.
After Axum converted to Christianity, the
bible was translated into Ge'ez from Greek. Although Ge'ez
has not been a spoken language since about the tenth century,
it is still today the liturgical language of the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church.
Debre Damo -76 km from Axum, is another important
historic site, especially due to the monastery dating back
to the Axumite era. The monastery is 24 meters down a cliff
and is only accessible by a safety rope pulley, making it
an exciting event on its own. The 9th century site holds Ethiopia's
oldest intact church and has an extensive collection of scripts
and antique texts of scripture and teachings. On account of
traditional religious reasons, women are not admitted to this
site, and some of the other monasteries in the country.
At Yeha, you will find the 5th century BC
Temple of the Moon, emanating from a remote age civilization.
The roofless and windowless temple is built of smooth polished
stone, and measures 20 meters long, 15 meters wide and is
10 meters high. Its construction is of nearly the same perplexing
style and technology as the Egyptian pyramids. Stones of up
to 3 meters long were laid carefully, one upon another, to
the height of a modern 7-storey building without the use of
mortar. The temple holds important Judaic remains and antiques.
Yeha is less than 2 hours drive from Axum, on a road that
takes you through some dramatic highland scenery.
Lalibela, located south of Axum, was the seat
of the Zagwe dynasty that rose around the 12th century. Lalibela
lies camouflaged against the landscapes dominated by Mount
Abuna Yosef that rises to 4,200 m. The 11 churches of Lalibela
were hewn from the pink granite bedrock of the Roha Mountain.
Credited to King Lalibela (1185-1225), the rock churches are
a sight to behold and are no doubt one of the most incredible
creations of man in service to God.
It is reported that King Lalibela's prodigious
church building was his effort to recreate Jerusalem. Muslims
occupied Jerusalem at the time and pilgrimage for Ethiopian
Christians was difficult. The city was initially known as
Roha, but was later renamed after King Lalibela, the most
outstanding of the Zagwes'. Lalibela is a holy shrine city
of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and it is the best place
to experience the most colourful Ethiopian church festivals
especially during Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas (Genna), and
Epiphany (Timket).
Bete Giyorgis -the Church of St. George, is
a World Heritage Site; it is the most famous of the Lalibela
churches, in addition to being the best preserved and having
the finest architectural finish. Bete Medhane Alem -House
of the Redeemer of the World, is a replica of the Axumite
St. Mary of Zion cathedral and is said to be the largest church
in the world. Bete Maryam, -House of Mary, was dedicated to
Mary the mother of Christ. In addition to being the most unique,
it is also the favourite among Lalibela's bethels. Away from
Lalibela town, there are other marvellous houses of worship
with equally unique workmanship.
Despite the devotion of Lalibela, the Zagwes'
were not of the Solomonic line and were seen by puritans as
usurpers. When Yekuno Amlak rose to office in 1268 after deposing
the Zagwe kings, he declared himself a lineal descendant of
King Menelik I -son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and
thus re-established the Solomon dynasty. Haile Selassie (1930-1974),
the last Ethiopian Negusa Negest - King of Kings or Emperor,
also claimed descent from King Solomon.
Mekele, located at the north most border of
Ethiopia, is another home to rock-hewn churches and is famous
for its over 200 churches. It was the capital of Emperor Yohannes
IV, who reigned in Tigray between 1871 and 1889. The town
was then an important camel caravan transit stopover and a
thriving trade centre. Today, the emperor's palace has been
turned into a remarkable museum with notable exhibits from
the past. Around Tigray, you can visit Negash, the site of
the first mosque constructed in Ethiopia.
Gondar, a town on the lower slopes of the
Simien Mountains northwest of Ethiopia, is home to many old-fashioned
castles, palaces and beautifully constructed and decorated
churches. Portuguese travellers in the 1520's had little to
report on Gondar, as it was then a small village without any
distinction. By 1630 however, Gondar was the capital of Ethiopia.
Gondar owes it rise to Emperor Fasilidas the Great (1632 -1667)
and his successors in the period 1632 to 1855. The city declined
thereafter, when Tewodros II moved his capital to Debre Tabor.
Muslim dervish subsequently looted the capital in 1887.
The castles were built with the help of Portuguese
and other foreign experts; an Indian architect designed the
most magnificent of them. The architectural style combines
Axumite, medieval European and Arabian influences. Gondar
has a spectacular view of the Lake Tana farmlands. Within
the area you will also come across the bathing palace of Emperor
Fasilidas.
Lake Tana, Ethiopia's largest lake is the
source of the Blue Nile. The lake is dotted with 37 islands
hosting some enthralling 13th century churches, monasteries,
monuments and archaeological treasures. Of particular interest,
is Dek Stephanos, which has a treasury of priceless religious
icons, and is the burial place of several medieval emperors,
including Yekuno Amlak and Fasilidas. Once here, be sure to
visit Kebran Gabriel, and Ura Kidane Mehret -which is renowned
for its colourful frescoes.
Bahir Dar, south of the lake, is the focal
point for touring the Lake Tana region. Visitors enjoy boat
cruises around the lake, which is also excellent for bird
viewing and is a nature lover's paradise. Make sure to enjoy
views of the magnificent Tisisat Falls, formed as the Blue
Nile cascades down 45 meters, over a river width of 400 m.
Harar is an amazing and amusing place to tour.
This early 16th century eastern Ethiopian city was once an
important trade centre and is famous for its ancient Arabic
structures, great city walls, and the French poet Rimbaud's
house. Harar is an Islamic centre with at least 99 mosques,
and is considered to be the fourth holiest Islamic city, after
Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
If the evening finds you in Harar, you may
witness a most bizarre spectacle courtesy of the so-called
Hyena Men. With wild howls, these fearless men summon hyenas
from the hills. They then get the ruthless scavengers to snatch
pieces of meat from their hands or even their mouths!
Still to the east of the country, in the Afar
region, the banks of Awash River make an important pre historic
and archaeological site. This is where the hominid 'Lucy',
-believed to be the missing link between man and his ape ancestors
was excavated. Recent findings in neighbouring Kenya have
however come to challenge this position. The local name of
the hominid is Dinknesh -meaning "thou art wonderful".
Lucy is the fun name given to her by the scientists
who found her, after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky
with Diamonds". This archaeological gem today rests at
the Ethiopian National Museum in Addis Ababa. Many other archaeological
treasures have also been found in the area.
Most overseas visitors will start off from
Addis Ababa. Addis, as the city is popularly known is Ethiopia's
capital city and home to Bole International Airport. The city
rests at the foot of the Entoto Mountains. By Ethiopian standards,
it is a new settlement and came into being in 1887. Addis
Ababa means New Flower and its foundation is credited to Queen
Taitu -consort to Menelik II.
 In
Addis, make sure to visit the Ethnographic Museum and the
National Museum. The Giorgis Cathedral, which was built in
1896 to commemorate victory over Italian invaders, is also
worth a visit.
The Menelik Mausoleum at the Ba'ata church,
built in 1911, was purposed to be the tomb of Emperor Menelik
II. It later on served to entomb other emperors, royalty and
martyrs of freedom as well. The Trinity Cathedral is a striking
European style church erected in 1941 to commemorate Ethiopia's
emancipation from Italian occupation.
Other interesting attractions include: Merkato
-the grand marketplace, Entoto Mariam -an 1885 basilica that
looks out over the city, Mt. Entoto Museum, the 1896 octagon
St. Georges Cathedral, Jubilee Palace and the Emperors Palace
-both Emperor Haile Selassie's grand palaces, Martyr's statue
-a tribute to the thousands massacred by fascist Italian forces,
and the Menelik Square, which has an equestrian statue of
Menelik II erected after his victory over the Italians in
the battle of Adawa.
Despite early contact with the outside world,
Ethiopia developed in relative isolation and was actually
once known as the "Hidden Empire". The country was
suspicious of outsiders, and the welcome given to foreign
experts in the building of Gondar was rare in Ethiopian history.
European missionaries were singularly unsuccessful in converting
the locals to the protestant faith.
The country was never colonised, though it
suffered a brief period of Italian occupation between 1936
and 1941. Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy,
sought to raise his country's prestige by expanding her domains.
Mussolini saw Ethiopia as a logical candidate for his ambitions
for three reasons: it could easily be consolidated with neighbouring
Eritrea, which was an Italian colony, it was militarily weak
and it was not occupied by another greater power. To rouse
nationalist passions, he portrayed the invasion as an avenging
mission for the defeat Italy had suffered at the hands of
Ethiopian nationalists in the Italian-Abyssinian War of 1896.
Though mercifully short, the Italian period
was harsh and cruel, and up to a quarter of a million Ethiopians
are estimated to have perished. At the same time, Mussolini's
fascist army put to death the monks of Debre Libanos and the
Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The country was
liberated with the assistance of the British, in a sideshow
of the Second World War.
True to her history, Ethiopia lives in her
own time. The country still uses the Julian calendar, which
has 12 months of 30 days each and an additional month of 5
days, with 6 days in a leap year. Relative to the Gregorian
calendar used in most of the world, Ethiopia is 7 years behind
between 11th September and 8th January and 8 years for the
rest of the year.
You will find good quality Addis
Ababa hotels to suit the budget of most travellers.
A few other towns and locations on the Historical Route and
other tourist attractions also offer reasonable accommodation.
Unlike in other countries that receive many tourists, the
budget traveller will find accommodation rates to be very
reasonable. Due to the relatively undeveloped tourist infrastructure,
the best way to see the country is by buying a packaged Ethiopia
tour, which includes accommodation, meals, guides,
and transport logistics.
NOTE:
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