Ethiopia: the land of thousand smiles
Ethiopia: the land of thousand smiles ...Ethiopia has so much to offer visitors: the Historic Route, covering the ancient town of Axum, with its amazing carved obelisks, Christian festivals and relics, including the Ark of the Covenant; Gondar, with its castles and palaces; Lalibela, with its remarkable rock-hewn churches: Negash, one of the earliest holy Muslim centres from the Prophet Mohammed Era with the NegashAmedinMesgid; the walled Muslim city of Harar and LegaOda, near Dire Dawa where you can see cave paintings considered to be thousands of years old...
Ethiopia is a land of wonder and enchantments, a country with one of the richest histories on the African continent, a land of contrasts and surprises, of remote and wild places, home to cultured and friendly people who are descended from some of the world’s oldest civilizations. This is the land of the fabled Queen of Sheba, home of the Ark of the Covenant, the birthplace of coffee. Lucy the world’s oldest known almost-complete hominid skeleton, more than three million years old, was discovered here...
... Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile, is the largest lake with 37 islands and the Monasteries like KibranGebriel and Kidanemhiret dating back to 14th century. The Great Rift Valley lakes, many with national parks, are home to a wealth of bird and animal life. The high, rugged, Simien Mountains in the north and the Bale mountains in the southeast are also home to some unique wildlife and rich flora, and are ideal for trekking, whilst some of Ethiopia’s fast-flowing rivers are becoming famous for white-water rafting. There are eleven national parks and four sanctuaries where 277 species of wildlife and more than 850 species of birds can be seen. The Semien Mountains National Park is registered by UNESCO as a world heritage site and is home to three of the endemic mammals, Walia Ibex, Gelada Baboon and Abyssinian Wolf. Ras Dashen, the fourth highest peak in Africa with an alititude of 4,620 meters, is also located within the National Park. Other National Parks include Bale Mountains and Abijatta-Shalla in Oromia, Nechisar, Mago and Omo National Parks in the south and Yangudi Rasa in Afar, Gambella National Park in Gambella, as well as Awash in both Oromia and Afar Regions. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s friendly and safe capital city has so much to offer, too, with its first-class hotels and restaurants, museums and palaces, and good shopping, which includes the Mercato – Africa’s largest open-air market. Ethiopia is a mosaic of people with more than 80 languages, different lifestyles, costumes and cultural dances...
...People’s livelihoods vary from pastoralists and farmers to factory workers, business people and academics. Ethiopia has been called ‘the land of a thousand smiles’. Visit us and you can be sure of a great welcome, a memorable holiday, and the experience of a lifetime. With a population of more than three million people, Addis Ababa also known as Brussels of Africa is located in the geographic centre of the country. It is not only the political capital but also the economic and social nerve centre of Ethiopia. Founded by Emperor Menelik in 1887, this big, sprawling hospitable city still bears the stamp of the exuberant personality. There are more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a forefront for international diplomacy in Africa and houses the headquarters of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Addis Ababa’s cosy espresso bars and patisseries are reminiscent of Rome and the Mediterranean, and its bustling outdoor markets are colourful reminders of more traditional ways of life. The people, the bursts of music from cafes or shops, the pungent aromas of spicy cooking, of coffee and frankincense, form a unique Ethiopian pastiche.
Addis Ababa
Dominated by the 3,000-meter (9,840-foot) high Entoto Mountains immediately to the north, Ethiopia’s largest city has grown at an astonishing speed since it was founded just over a century ago. Covering 250 square kilometres the city rambles pleasantly across many wooded hillside and gullies cut through with fast-flowing streams. Despite its proximity to the Equator, its lofty altitude – it is the third-highest capital in the world-means that it enjoys a mild, Afro-alpine climate. From its inception Addis Ababa was clustered around two main centres: the National Palace to the east and the market, with Saint George’s Churches, to the west. Together they generated so much activity that the capital grew and developed rapidly.
Ethiopia’s world heritage sites
The ancient land
Legend has it that Emperor Menelik I, the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, brought the Ark of the Covenant 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 powerful and religious ancient civilizations. 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, DebreDamo and Bahr 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 historical 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 then only by way of a rope lowered by the friendly monks above.
Lalibela
The small town of Lalibela in northern Ethiopia ia famous for its 11 rcok hewn churches dating back to the 12th century. The town was originally known as Roha, but was renamed after King Lalibela who commissioned the churches these amazing edifices were not constructed as such, but were chipped out of solid rock. With only hammers and chisels, the feat is so incredible the legend has it angels worked on the churches at night. One of the most spectacular churches is that of BeteGiorgis which has been excavated 12 meters down. Upon approach, visitors are greeted by its roof in the shape of a cross lying at their feet. Some of the churches are connected by underground tunnels and twisting mazes. They portray a vast array of styles and carvings: Arabesque windows, Grecian-style pillars, the Star of David and the ancient swastika symbol believed to have originated in Asia.
Debre Libanos
Taking the historic route north from Addis Ababa the first stop is Debre Libanos, 110 kilometres north of the capital. Here you can find reminders of Saint TekelHaymanot, the 14th century holy man, who stood on one leg for 7 years in a cave at DebreLibanos. A wonderful modern cathedral marks this spot, the centre of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for hundreds of years. Nearby an old ‘Portuguese bridge’ is visible from the main road.
Bahr Dar
Bahr Dar, the next stop, 563 kilometres 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 DegaEstefanos you will find the monastery of DekStefanos which has a priceless collection of icons and manuscripts and houses the mummified remains of a number of Ethiopian emperors.
Mekele
On the return journey to Addis the route takes you through Makele, 783 kilometres from the capital, with a number of new first class hotels, and with daily flights by Ethiopian Airlines. The town is famous for its 120 rock-hewn churches of Tigray – which are beautifully decorated and of which a few house important religious artefacts. Mekele is also a good place to watch the camel caravans arriving from the forbidding Danakil Depression with their tablets of salt and a routr to Dalol.