|
Page
1 > Page 2
1.1 Ethiopia - Why
Connoisseurs think it is Africa's best-kept secret
Though a friendly people, Ethiopians are fiercely
independent and even today appear to distrust outsiders a
little bit. This may appear justified when you consider that
foreigners such as the British and Italians are guilty of
looting historical relics. The Italians carried off to Rome
a 150-tonne granite obelisk from Axum, when they occupied
the country between 1936-41. Mussolini had sought a rematch
of the 1896 defeat by Ethiopia that had greatly humiliated
Italian patriots. The British had earlier in 1868 stolen priceless
illuminated manuscripts, crowns, crosses, and other treasure.
Ethiopia has been waging a campaign to have the artifacts
returned.
Most of the historical treasures date from
time King Azena of Axum converted to Christianity in the 4th
century AD. The highlights of the "Historic Route"
are Debre Libanos, Debre Markos, Bahar Dar, Gondar, Axum,
Lalibela and Harar. You can reach these sites by air or car,
or a combination of both. The route starts at Debre Libanos,
110 km from Addis Ababa. Here in the 13th century, Saint Tekle
Haymanot performed a fantastic feat- he stood on one leg for
7 years! A cathedral marks the spot where this happened.
In 1937, during the Italian occupation, the
monks of Debre Libanos annoyed the Fascist overlord who ordered
the execution of 297 of them. If you are traveling by road,
you can pause at Debre Markos, 305 km north of Addis to see
the church of Markos with its beautiful paintings of Biblical
scenes.
Bahar Dar is located on the shores of Lake
Tana and is 560 km from Addis Ababa. The 3,000 sq km Lake
Tana is Ethiopia's biggest and is the source of the Blue Nile.
Just 30 km after leaving Lake Tana, over a maximum width of
400m, the Blue Nile drops over 45 m. The result is the phenomenon
of the Blue Nile Falls, otherwise known to locals as Tississat
or "Smoke of Fire". The falls are a spectacular
sight and the spray mist produces rainbows and rainforest
vegetation that forms a habitat to monkeys and many colourful
birds.
Lake Tana has 37 islands, some of which harbor
churches and monasteries. These buildings carry beautiful
murals and paintings, remains of emperors, church crosses,
icons, manuscripts, crowns and other articles of historical
and cultural significance. Some of the monasteries such as
Kebrane Gabriel preserve ancient customs and do not allow
entry for women. You can break your historical tour by sailing
on the Tana. Boats are available for hire at Bahar Dar. The
lake is also a delight for bird watchers. Flights are available
to Bahar Dar, and some reasonable quality hotels too.
Gondar is 748 km to the northwest of Addis
and rests on the foothills of the majestic Simien Mountains.
Founded by Emperor Fasilidas, it was the 17th century capital
of Ethiopia. Noteworthy attractions here are the cathedrals,
castles, and other imperial buildings that were built by Fasilidas
and his successors. The architectural style combines Axumite,
medieval European and Arabian influences. An Indian architect
designed the most magnificent of them. For Cathedrals, the
most impressive is the hilltop positioned Debre Berhan Selassie
(Trinity Church of the Mountain of Light). The city declined
after 1855 when Tewodros II removed his capital to Debre Tabor
and was subsequently looted in the 1880's.
Axum, one of the key stops on the historical
routes, dates back at least 2,000 years. The ancient city
is particularly important in the history of the Orthodox Church,
as it was the seat of King Azena when he converted to Christianity
in the 4th century AD. Every year, the site known as Queen
Sheba's bath is the focal point of the ceremony of Epiphany.
Archeologist's think that the site and others such as Queen
of Sheba Palace were merely named after the famous queen for
the city had not been founded in her lifetime.
In its heyday, Axum was a vital and sophisticated
kingdom that produced the written language that survives to
this day known as Ge'ez. Though Axum is mostly identified
with its trademark monolithic stelae, it has other important
ruins such palaces and imperial tombs. The stelae were carved
from single blocks of stone as markers of the burial places
of kings. These were the biggest monolith structures ever
made anywhere in the world. Out of the 11 identifiable large
stelae, only one stands today at 24 m. In 1937, the Italian
dictator Mussolini ordered one of the structures to be dismantled
and raised again in Rome.
Axum is also known for the 17th century Cathedral
of St Mary of Zion. Legend has it that the original Ark of
the Covenant is housed here. The monks jealously guard this
treasure and do not allow anybody to view it. This stand has
led to much speculation that this object of immeasurable historical
and religious value may not actually be in the hands of the
monks of St Mary of Zion.
Lalibela is renowned for its marvelous 11
rock hewn churches built in the 12th century AD. The very
devout King Lalibela commissioned them, not as monuments,
but really as an act of worship. The churches were each carved
from a single block of stone. Some are in trenches below ground;
while others are built in open quarry caves. Legend has it
that the churches were built with great speed because angels
continued working the night shift while mortals slept. The
result was truly magnificent and the very learned people at
UNESCO have declared Lalibela a World Heritage Site. The churches
are living monuments and are still in use today. Of all the
historic attractions, Lalibela is the one you should not miss.
Harar, unlike other centres on the historic
route is associated with Islam. The town with its city wall,
towers and narrow streets has the feel of Arabian Nights about
it. Founded in 1520, the city is 523 km to the east of Addis.
It is an important centre of Islamic learning and has all
of 99 mosques. Indeed it is believed to rank fourth in the
ranking of holy cities of Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
The first Muslims are said to have reached Ethiopia in the
lifetime of prophet Mohamed. The city is also famous for its
handicrafts, colorful woven baskets, and silverware. It was
also once the home of the French poet Rimbaud.
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!
In the east of the country towards the Dankil
Depression and to the west near Sudan, the climate is very
hot and dry. The central highland region is temperate, and
nights can get chilly. Rains come twice a year- the rather
irregular short rains from January to March and the long rains
from June to September. The best time to visit Addis and the
highlands region is the dry October - June period. The traveler
is advised to dress very light in the lowlands and desert
country. In the highland region, temperatures average 16°C
and warmer clothing comes in handy at night and early morning.
Some Addis
Ababa hotels are of international standard. 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
traveler will find accommodation rates to be very reasonable.
New: Visit
our Africa Travel forum
and share ideas, experiences and post questions on any aspect
of your trip planning to Ethiopia.
NOTE:
If you have a friend who is going on vacation to Africa and
would find the above information useful then you can email
this page to the person by clicking
here
Subscribe to our
Free Newsletter
Our FREE bi-monthly e-mail newsletter is the best way
to keep you informed about your favourite travel destinations
in Africa.
Subscribe and recieve tons of tips relating to African travel,
exclusive up to the minute offers on exciting tours, safaris,
hotels, car hire, general travel news and other travelers
experiences.
Do you know that some of our best offers are only available
to subscribers of the newsletter?
Just fill out the form below and be a subscriber
today!
Note: We do not disclose any personal
infomation of yours to anyone and also do not condone spam
or junk email.
|
