Historical Attractions

• Axum and Yeha
• Lalibela
• Gonder
• Bahirdar and Lake Tana
• Harar

AXUM AND YEHA

Ethiopian history, as we know it, dawns with the emergence of an important centre of civilization in the north of the country: this civilization is exemplified by the great temple of YEHA, which dates back to perhaps the sixth or seventh centuries BC. Remains of a large stone temple dating to about 500 BC still survive. The transition from D’mt to the Kingdom of Aksum remains unclear.

The state of Sheba mentioned in the Old Testament is sometimes believed to have been in Ethiopia. According to the Ethiopian legend, best represented in the KEBERE NEGEST, the Queen of Sheba was tricked by King Solomon into sleeping with him, resulting in a child, named EBN MELEK (later Emperor MENELIK I. When he was of age, MENELIK returned to Israel to see his father, who sent with him the son of Zadok to accompany him with a replica of the Ark of the Covenant (Ethiosemitic: tabot). On his return with some of the Israelite priests, however, he found that Zadok's son had stolen the real Ark of the Covenant. Some believe the Ark is still being preserved today at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia.

LALIBELA

In the mid-12th century, the Solomonids were overthrown and replaced by the Zagwe dynasty, the ruling family of a region on the central plateau known as Lasta. Lalībela, an Ethiopian town renowned for its ancient churches carved from solid rock. The 11 churches are regarded as one of the wonders of the world, excavated from solid rock with an immense underground maze of tunnels and passages.

There are two main groups of churches, with another church dedicated to Saint George a short distance away. Ethiopian tradition connects them with the most famous king of the Zagwe dynasty, and the town, formerly known as Roha, has come to be known by that king's name. The Life of Lalībela describes how King Lalībela (who ruled from the late 12th to the early 13th centuries) was carried away to the heavenly Jerusalem. There he was instructed to build the churches. Angels worked beside his men as they cut each one from the rock, and then kept working through the night.

GONDER

Gonder, former capital of Ethiopia, founded in 1636 by Ethiopian emperor Fasiladas and became the country’s first permanent capital. It became Ethiopia’s principal cultural center and a major market for trade the city is situated in northwestern Ethiopia,
Gonder has some of Ethiopia’s most important historical sites. The city is famous for its castles and palaces, most of which were constructed in the 17th century. Also of note are the bath of Emperor Fasiladas (built from 1632 to 1667), the library of Emperor Johannes I (built from 1667 to 1682), and the remnants of 44 ancient churches. Gonder is the site of the Public Health College, part of Haile Selassie I University. Population (1999 estimate) 142,328.

BAHIR DAR AND LAKE TANA

Blue Nile, one of two main tributaries of the Nile River, which originates in Ethiopia.
Known as the Abay in Amharic, the Blue Nile is purported to originate in a spring in the Ethiopian highlands, a holy site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. From this spring, the Little Abay descends into Lake Tana. The Abay, or Blue Nile, plunges down the Tis Isat waterfall a short distance below Lake Tana. Just over 350 km (220 mi) farther south, it bends west into the Blue Nile Gorge, which reaches depths of more than 1,000 m (about 3,300 ft).

HARAR

Eastern part of Ethiopia Harar is one of the most important historic destinations. Founded in the early 16th c, Harar has been ruled by successive Muslim sultanates and yet is major Muslim dominated part of the country. Being so, Harar is the fourth Muslim sacred land next to Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem with more than 50 mosques in town. Homing the Adare, Somali, Argoba and Qotu tribes Harar stays an exemplary town for religious harmony between Muslim and Christian Ethiopians. The great walls surrounding the old Harrar town, built by the Adare tribes to protect themselves against the attack of neighboring tribes stands still as an attraction to reveal the time history.