SITES TO VISIT
AXUM
Axum, a city that belongs to the federal state of Tigray, and religious capital of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aksum (Axum), an empire that extended from the current eastern Yemen to Sudan. Controlled the trade routes between Africa and Asia, between the I-X centuries AC.
Around the year 325 was the first major empire to convert to Christianity under King Ezana and the first state to use the image of the cross on his coins. The Aksum archaeological site was declared a World Heritage Site in 1980
The most important monuments are the stelae. Huge obelisks carved with architectural motifs that mark, according to archaeologists, the site of the tombs of sovereigns, the ancient kingdom. Most of the steles are grouped in the north of the city.
Other attractions include the Church of Our Lady of Zion, built in 1665. The Ethiopian legend says that houses the Ark of the Covenant. In this church is crowned emperor of Ethiopia until the Fasilidas (XVII century) and later from Yohannis (XIX century) until the disappearance of the empire.
Also noteworthy is the Stele, and Ezana stone written in Sabean, Yehenara and classical Greek, the tomb of King Bazen, considered one of the most ancient monoliths, the bath of the Queen of Sheba's palace Ta'akha Maryam the fourth century, the palace of Dungur, the sixth century the monasteries of Abba Pentalewon and Abba Liqanos and Gobedra Leone, a rock relief of two meters. In 2008 a German archaeological team, found in the holy city, the ruins of the palace of the legendary Queen of Sheba.
GONDAR
Capital of Ethiopia between 1632-1868, was founded by King Fassiledes in 1632. Located in the Amhara region, north of Lake Tana and southwest of the Simen Mountains. It was developed as an agricultural market town.
Places of interest are:
- Fasil Ghebbi or Royal Enclosure (declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1979), built in s. XVII. Known as Africa's Camelot.
- Pool Fasilidas. It has a large swimming pool and a small rectangular building with two floors, surrounded by a wall that closes the site.
- Debre Birhan Selassie. The main interest of this church is the magnificent paintings that is inside both the walls and ceiling. (decorated with paintings of 80 faces of cherubim).
- Center of Gondar. Walking through central Gondar, you will feel transported to the Middle Ages.
The palace Suhal Ras Mikael (not visited)
LALIBELA
Lalibela is a monastic city in northern Ethiopia, the second holiest city of the country, after Aksum. It is an important pilgrimage center. The population belongs almost entirely to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is located in the federal state of Amhara, 2,500 m above sea level.
The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1978, are a set of rock-hewn churches, carved out of red basalt rock of the hills of the monastic town of Lalibelain Ethiopia.
The monumental, is the leading exponent of the few remains of Dynasty zigzags, which was his capital Lalibela. Four of the churches are not attached to the bedrock, the other if either by a wall or ceiling.
The churches of Lalibela are divided into two main groups, separated by the channel Yordanos, representing the Jordan River, but interconnected by tunnels, passages and trenches. The site was designed to correspond to its topography a symbolic representation of the Holy Land. A monolithic cross marks the starting point for the journey made by pilgrims.
BAHIR DAR
Bahir Dares a city in northwestern Ethiopia and is the capital of the administrative region (kilil) Amhara. Located on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile (or river Abay), in what was until 1995 the province Gojjam. The city is situated 378 km northwest of Addis Ababa.
Can be accessed by boat to various islands, which found many of the historic churches and monasteries located on the shores of Lake Tana. Most of them date from the seventeenth century and is characterized by polychromatic richness of its walls, some of these churches have museums with illuminated manuscript, crowns and royal and ecclesiastical vestments. Even today, some of these islands monasteries are closed to women, but others may be visited by both sexes
SIDAMO
Its name comes from an ethnic native of Ethiopia, Sidamo call, or more specifically, Sidama, found in south-central part of the country, was the former Kingdom of Kaffa.
The Sidama nation is surrounded by the Oromia State and the country Wolayata. An important part of the territory consists of mountainous terrain. The lowlands are part of the Rift Valley. The main rivers that cross or border the country are Loggita Sidama, Gannale, Kolla and Gidawo river. Also counts as water resources, with lakes Hawaasa (Awassa) and Abayya (in Sidan Awraja).
Nearly 95% of Sidama living from agriculture and livestock. Perhaps the most important source of income is coffee, and the area is a major contributor to the production of coffee in Ethiopia, a high percentage of coffee exports come from this area, surpassed only for the region of Oromia
NATIONAL PARKS
● The Simien National Park
● The Awash National Park
● The Bale Mountains National Park
● The Abiyatta-Shalla National Park
● The Mago National Park
● The Omo National Park
● The Netch Sar National Park
● The Gambela National Park
● The Yangudi Rasa National Park
● The Alatish National Park
● The Maze National Park
TRIBES AND ETHNIC GROUPS
TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia is divided into nine regions and two cities with special status (ж)
1 Addis Ababa ж
2 Afar
3 Amhara
4 Benishangul/Gumaz
5 Dire Dawa ж
6 Gambela
7 Harar
8 Oromía
9 Somalí
10 Nationalities and Southern Peoples
11 Tigray
ETHNIC GROUPS
Oromo
Amhara
Tigray
Sidama
Somali
Afar
Gurage
Argob
konso
Wolayta
OMO RIVER TRIBES
Surma Tribe
Mursi Tribe
Hamer Tribe
