Tourist Attractions & Monuments Ethiopia

Founded, according to legend, by King Yekouno Amlak, restorer of the Solomonic dynasty in 1270, to mark his power, the monument is a fine example of a monolithic church. Carved out of pink tufa, the 20 m x 16 m x 10 m high edifice is surrounded by twenty-four pillars forming a gallery that symbolizes the elders of the Apocalypse, while the four inner pillars symbolize the evangelists.

The church is adorned with numerous frescoes. One, in the atrium, depicts the parable of the foresighted virgins who saved their oil for the coming of Christ and the others who did not; below, St. George and the temptation of Adam and Eve by the serpent. Turning along the nave to the left, we see the wedding at Cana, the martyrs, the Holy Trinity, the prophets, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac and the entry into Jerusalem. In the background on the right, the flight into Egypt guided by Gabriel, Saint Mercurios killing Galianos, the king who persecuted the Christians, as well as other iconography and a bestiary of more uncertain decipherability. On the pillars, the prophet Daniel, Dawit and his musical instrument, and the meeting of Yekouno Amlak and Takla Haymanot, the monk who played an essential role in restoring Solomon's lineage before becoming a venerated saint.

To the left of the holy of holies, a now-filled tunnel is said to contain emnet, a miraculous powder used to dispel evil spirits, which the faithful sprinkle over their faces.

If there's one must-do excursion from Lalibela, this is it! The church of Yemrehanna Kristos is spectacular and a must-see, built inside a huge cave. The ^12th-century, Axumite-style sanctuary is attributed to the ruler Yemrehanna Kristos, Lalibela's predecessor in the Zagoue dynasty, who reigned from 1132 to 1172.

How to get there. This little wonder can be reached by cab or 4x4 hire. It's also possible to cover the 20 km on a mule, or a five-hour walk - the reward will be well worth the effort! You can also combine your visit with the end of a trek in the Lasta mountains (Abuna Youssef massif) after reaching the summit (Ethiopia's third highest at 4,190 m). A trekking combination we warmly recommend. In the center of the village of Bilbila, a signpost indicates the way to the church, at the end of a 12 km trail. We reach a small village where a path leads to the church. After a fifteen-minute walk through a forest, you arrive at the church, hidden at the bottom of a cave, behind a breeze-block wall supposed to protect it from seepage.

The church. A three-aisled Axumite-style basilica occupies the southeastern part of the cave. Built of stone and wood brought from Jerusalem, Egypt and Syria, it rests on a flooded base and is said to symbolize Noah's Ark. Legend has it that the angel Gabriel intervened in the construction of the sanctuary, as well as on several occasions during the saint's life. A triumphal arch marks the entrance to the sanctuary, flanked by two sacristies(pastophoria). The two-tone facade (wood and plastered masonry) is pierced by eight windows, all different, framed by monkey heads and recalling the eight humans aboard the Ark. The interior is astonishingly richly decorated, with marvellous multicoloured paintings on the ceilings symbolizing the seven heavens. The same ceilings feature countless astonishing geometric and figurative motifs in Arab-Coptic style: crosses, men, horsemen, birds, animals, trees, boats... A series of Coptic-style wall paintings depict the life and Passion of Christ. From the richly painted barrel ceiling fall gold and precious stone pendants (diamonds, according to the priest) with which the sovereign would have adorned his edifice before being called back to greater modesty by God. Pillars surmounted by sculpted, polychrome capitals, semicircular arches and floor paving give this astonishing church an impression of perfection.

The grotto. Note the impressive dimensions of the grotto that houses the church: it is 10-12 m high and 50 m wide! It also includes another building, which may have been the residence of Yemrehanna Kristos, as well as the mausoleum of the priest-king, whose veneration is the object of numerous pilgrimages. A 3 m-high wall marks the boundary of a part of the cave reserved for worship. The treasure room is a simple construction 17 m long, 8 m wide and around 4.50 m high, divided into two rooms. Venturing into the darkness of the cavern, visitors will discover the bones of over 5,700 pilgrims, some of them contemporaries of the ruler Yemrehanna Kristos, lying on the floor.

It is located 5 km along the road to Yemrehanna Kristos. The church of the "four animals", in reference to the four evangelists, is cut out of the rock on three sides (it is semi-monolithic). The monument is decorated in the Axumite style. Dated to the ^6th century, it is believed to have been built during the reign of King Kaleb, but was rebuilt in the 1950s. The paintings inside are modern and cover almost all the walls and ceiling. Nearby, a spring produces water that is obviously sacred.

Overlooking the entrance to the city, the museum is housed in a former mansion built by the Italians during the occupation. In addition to its collections of musical instruments, traditional handicrafts and religious objects, the place is interesting for the beautiful view it offers over the city and the former palace of Ras Mikaël, founder of the city at the end of the ^19th century, enthroned on the hill opposite (closed to the public). The museum is currently being renovated with financial support from The Ethiopian Heritage Trust, an NGO.

Monday is the day of one of Ethiopia's best-known markets, which has given its name to a pentatonic scale and numerous songs. Bati is a magical name, evocative of a thousand scents, an immemorial meeting of very different peoples - Afar, Oromo or Amhara - from the lowlands where the Awash River meanders or from the high plateaus of Wollo and Choa. Bati is a Wenna Dega, i.e. a medium altitude, and the temperature is very mild. The market is actually made up of three very different markets: the cereal market (tef, barley, wheat, oats and others), the livestock market (sheep, goats, zebus as well as camels and donkeys) and the all-public market where you'll find extraordinary varieties of honey, very good butter, very cheap and natural incense, woven and embroidered cotton clothes, very beautiful colored loincloths, very beautiful handmade jewelry, knives chiselled on makeshift forges of very good quality with goatskin sheaths sometimes reaching impressive sizes, medicinal clays reserved for women, green tomatoes, red onions, wickerwork mesob with lids used to present dishes, baskets and different kinds of honey alcohol or kosso as well as all sorts of things and of course a heap of colorful chinoiseries piled up under canvas to protect from the sun.

Before 10 a.m., it's cooler and less crowded, as people sometimes walk more than 5 hours from their homes to reach the market. Nomads are asked to leave their Kalashnikovs at home - which they do. There's no security problem, but it's good to be accompanied by a local or a friendly translator, who can help you take photos, for example, or negotiate decent prices, even if it means buying more for less. When you've made a deal, shake hands with the merchant and say "Gezo". You'll find nickel jewelry, but also silver, such as the beautiful ^18th-century coins bearing the effigy of Maria Theresa of Austria, which served as the local currency and were often worn as pendants around the necks of Oromo women.

At the end of the market, when the heat is overwhelming, you can see the men quenching their thirst with tella (traditional light beer)... and with a bit of luck, an azmari will come along accompanied by his wife and her instrument. It's also possible to buy a bundle of khat and offer it to Ethiopian friends.

About 10 km before the town, a track leads off to the right at Tchekorti. After 4 km, a small path (local children will be able to show you the way) leads, in just half an hour's walk, to this lion carved into a rock. A monumental and very impressive sculpture, also known as the Tchika Beret lion. Letters engraved in the Sabaean language date it to the Axumite era (that of the Queen of Sheba). But, as with the Gobedra lioness near Aksum, the significance of such a sculpture is not known.

Along with Dabra Damo, the Gishen monastery is one of the most venerated in Ethiopia. Founded, according to legend, in the^5th century under King Khaleb, it is most famous for the important relics it houses. From Dessié, it takes about a day to get there and visit the site. The beauty of the site and the original shape of the Gishen plateau flanked by four sanctuaries, three of which are symbolically erected to the north, south and west, following the layout of Ethiopian church doors, justify the excursion. According to tradition, it was in the ^14th century, during the reign of King Dawit (1379-1413), that important relics arrived in Ethiopia, including a fragment of the true cross, probably from Constantinople, where it had been brought from Jerusalem by Queen Helena. At the time, there was a festival in this city celebrating the cross, which is undoubtedly the origin of the Ethiopian festival of Masqal, which attracts thousands of pilgrims here every year. King Zara Yaqob (1434-1468), son of Dawit, searched long and hard for the ideal place to house the precious artifacts, eventually choosing the amba (tabular plateau) of Gishen, predestined by its cruciform topography. Locked away in four successive caskets of iron, bronze, silver and gold, the fragment of the cross has rested to this day in a twenty-metre-deep shaft, hidden from view, beneath the Egziaber Ab church. Along with the Ark of the Covenant, this myth constitutes the second great enigma of the sacred possessions claimed by the Ethiopian Church.

The sanctuary, located on a peninsula, is home to a community of around 30 monks and as many nuns, living in separate quarters. According to legend, the first church was founded here around 862, when local people honored the cult of the snake with animal sacrifices. It was the saintly Abouna Salama who had the sanctuary built. He is said to have convinced the locals to convert if he succeeded in killing the monster. Legend has it that he made the snake disappear by striking it with the cross. This storyline is widely shared by other accounts of church foundations, but the story becomes more specific from the ^13th century onwards. In 1240, the Estifanos monastery was founded under the auspices of the saintly Iyasus Mo'a, who made it one of the country's most renowned centers of monastic learning. He played an active part in the restoration of the Solomonic dynasty towards the end of the ^13th century. It was from here that Takla Haymanot, one of the most venerated saints of Orthodox liturgy, left to found the monastery of Dabra Libanos, after years of study under the guidance of his spiritual father. Like so many others, the monastery suffered from looting by the Gragn armies in the ^16th century. Not far from the church, a small hut serving as a museum houses precious manuscripts, the sacrificial stone that would have received pagan offerings, and heavy cross-shaped stones carried by the monks as a sign of self-sacrifice during their long prayers.

A detour to the shores of Lake Hayq ("lake" in Amharic) provides a very peaceful stop-off for a picnic and a good spot for birdwatching. It is surrounded by fertile hills and giant cacti - the opuntia, very common in the region. There are a number of cafés on the lakeshore (the restaurant offer is more than limited), providing good vantage points and an excuse to take a break, not least to watch the fishermen balancing on their frail papyrus skiffs, identical to those on Lake Tana.

Comprehensive and well presented, this museum is undeniably interesting. Traditional clothing, musical instruments, the first Bible translated into Oromo by Anismos Neciv in the ^19th century... Objects and tools from the Oromo culture tell us about the daily life and work of this ethnic group with cotton, wood, leather, metal, horn, stone or earth. One room also highlights the Jebelawi, a Muslim ethnic group living around Asosa. Some of the explanatory panels, with their ideological texts, date back to the Derg period. A lively guided tour.

The sanctuary is located 17 km east of Yabelo (follow the signs). However, the park office - an obligatory stopover - is located in the town. Originally created to protect the Swayne's hartebeest, the sanctuary has become a popular spot for Burchell's zebra. In addition to these two species, the 2,496 ^km2 acacia savannah habitat is home to kudu, gerenuk, dik-dik and Grant's gazelle, as well as some 194 bird species. It is possible to camp near the park gate in a dedicated area, but you need to bring everything with you and pay the tax at the office beforehand.

Discovered in 1935 by archaeologist Johnsen, the Tututi site lies to the south of Dila. After 22 km, a track climbs to the right and leads to the site after 4 km. Currently considered to be the megalithic site with the largest number of stelae in Ethiopia, Tututi could be, according to studies by French professor Anfray, the most important site of its kind in the world. The Tuto Fela site can be reached via a 3 km track starting to the left of the road, 15 km south of Dila.
Several other sites, of which Gollecha 55 km south of Dila is the most important, feature similar steles.

History. Numerous stelae have been erected in the Rift Valley region of southern Ethiopia, the anthropomorphic stelae of Gedeo country in particular, as well as thousands of phallic stelae in Sidamo. It's understood that these monuments date back to historical times, but their origins remain a mystery. As the populations settled in these territories have no oral tradition of such funerary steles, it would appear that they were erected by two distinct civilizations, between the ^8th and ^11th centuries, with no connection to the current occupants. The Gedeo, who share similarities with their Sidama neighbors who also erected phallic stelae, have preserved ancestral beliefs linked to a sky god, Mageno. It is known that some Oromo tribes continue to erect funerary monoliths around tombs or at some distance from them, but it seems that, as with the waga of the Konso, these monuments are reserved for certain people, heroes or reckless hunters, rather than for a god.

The Tututi site is home to more than 2,100 stelae spread over 3 hectares, the most imposing of which reach 8 m in height. Amidst those still standing, a multitude of others are lying, broken or buried, scattered among the crops and even in the enclosures of the dwellings. Here, all the steles are identical in their phallic shape, highlighted by a horizontal groove at the upright end of the shaft.

Tuto Fela site. This megalithic site comprises 217 stelae erected on a large stone tumulus, 200 of which are anthropomorphic and the others phallic. Following the discovery of the site in 1931, studies and excavations carried out by the team of French professor Roger Joussaume unearthed human bones that seemed to confirm the funerary symbolism of the monuments. Most of the cylindrical stone shafts bear the representation of a schematic face at their end, while others are engraved with geometric motifs that may have a feminine symbolism.

Odola Galma, Soka Dibicha and Godana Kinjo sites. The other archaeological wealth of the Gédéo region lies in the rocks engraved with animal motifs. These sites, located a few kilometers apart on the banks of the Anshi Macho river, group together some fifteen engraved blocks. Access is via a 25 km track, which begins 3 km to the left south of Dila and can be difficult to negotiate. According to Professors Anfray and Joussaume, specialists in these sites, these representations of cattle, clearly identifiable by their horns, could date back four thousand years and give an indication of societies that undertook the domestication of cattle.

In three successive rooms, the museum presents the Oromo kingdom founded by King Abba Jifar and the history of his reign from 1830 to 1855. There are Oromo costumes and musical instruments, weapons and books, and local handicrafts, including the famous seats carved from a single piece of wood. Among the possessions of the Oromo rulers, the throne of the last king Abba Jifar is one of the major pieces in the collection. This king was also the first to convert to Islam following the Gondar Abdul Hakim trader in 1830.

This original building is the work of Aba Jifar, sixth ruler of a powerful Muslim Oromo dynasty established in the ^18th century. He reigned from 1877 to 1933, the last of his name, and spent a lot of money on this palace: 400 kg of gold and 65,000 Marie-Thérèse silver coins, the currency in use at the time. Impressively tall at 2.10 m, he retained his prerogatives despite the expansion of the Christian kingdom, thanks to his friendly relations with Emperor Menelik II, to whom he nevertheless had to pay substantial taxes. He also stabilized his power by marrying six women from the surrounding provinces. On his death, Emperor Haile Selassie took over the administration of the province, putting an end to the Oromo dynasty. Strongly influenced by Indian architecture, the building comprises, on the first floor, the family mosque and the reception hall, where a window higher than the others gives the giant a view of the outside world. Upstairs are the courtroom and private apartments arranged around an inner courtyard. The whole complex is dominated by a watchtower with windows looking out towards the provinces of Choa, Kaffa and Welega, as well as the town of Jimma below. The palace's furnishings may be a little sparse, but its originality and the view it affords of the city make it worthwhile. The sovereign's tomb is located on the road leading to the palace, some 1.5 km away.

Athens is a city rich in history and culture. Visitors can discover numerous historic sites such as the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the ancient Agora. The city is also packed with fascinating museums, such as the Acropolis Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. Art lovers can also visit the National Gallery of Athens, which houses a collection of Greek and European works of art. In addition to its cultural heritage, Athens also offers a wealth of entertainment opportunities. Visitors can enjoy the city's lively nightlife, with its many bars, clubs and restaurants. They can also stroll through the picturesque districts of Plaka and Monastiraki, where they can shop and sample local specialties. Finally, Athens is also famous for its sporting events. Visitors can watch athletics, swimming and many other sports.

The Alliance Ethio-Française d'Addis-Abeba is a non-profit organization that has been promoting cultural and linguistic exchanges between France and Ethiopia since 1907. Located in Piassa, in the sub-town of Arada, the Alliance offers French courses as well as artistic and cultural activities. Milena Samuel is the educational coordinator and Sara Ibrahim is the communications officer.

ZigZag Space is a new arts and crafts gallery in Addis Ababa that's well worth a visit, firstly for its architecture, with a bamboo dome adorning the space, but also for its graphic exhibits, contemporary paintings and objects with colorful geometric motifs drawn from Ethiopian (tilets, sifets, tattoos, crosses...) and more generally African arts and crafts. All the artworks are handmade and locally sourced, as is the furniture in the room. The gallery organizes cultural events.

Entrance fees must be paid at park HQ. Except for hikers accustomed to the high mountains, it is preferable to take horses to transport equipment. A cook can also be hired for long treks. It's important to make sure that your guides have brought their own provisions, and it's essential to make arrangements the day before departure. Prices are detailed in the park.

The Awassa fish market, 1 km south of the Lewi Resort, is held every morning from 6.30 am. In this auction port, fishermen negotiate their night's catch, mainly tilapia and catfish, fish that testify to the richness of the lake's waters. In addition to the buyers, the boats bring with them countless hungry birds, including the inevitable marabouts, always ready to collect their pittance without the slightest effort. Monday and Thursday are market days in town.

This lake, which is 9 km away, located behind the air base on the road to Nazreth, is known as "Green lake" because of the algae that colonize its waters.

A 12 km towards the northeast, a difficult track leads to this lake, bordered only half by a rocky edge and privileged stop of the pink flamingos colonies.

A shrill hiss echoes from the path between two rock faces. According to legend, this is a snake imprisoned in the cliff by the monastery's founder. It was from here that the holy man is said to have thrown a tree trunk into the river, symbolizing the vanquished monster, and vowed to build a sanctuary on the spot where it would be washed ashore. This monastery was at the head of a monastic network considered heretical in the ^15th century, the stephanite movement, which refused the Marian cult imposed by the king. It remained a major intellectual center.

After 7 km on the road south of town, turn left at the "Gore Water Supply Treatment Plant" sign to reach the village of Becho, 13 km along a track that is difficult in places. The Hotel Baranagash is a good address for organizing the expedition. From here, an hour's walk or horseback ride will take you to the waterfalls in the heart of a beautiful forest: plunging more than 30 m, they are ranked among the most beautiful in the country. The excursion takes a good half-day, or more depending on trail conditions.

The gigantic bridge spanning the waters of the Blue Nile on the road to Addis Ababa was built by the Italians. The aesthetically pleasing structure is the object of special attention, as two vehicles cannot drive over it at the same time. Linking the provinces of Choa and Godjam, previously separated by this chaotic natural border, this unique link is truly strategic for the country's economy. In this area, you'll come across gelada baboons on the side of the road, waiting for truck drivers to throw them some bread.

Entrance fees and guides must be paid at the park office in Jinka. Scouts and guides are obligatory to accompany visitors (one of each per group) to the best wildlife observation sites and Mursi villages. The Mago Park headquarters, 30 km from Jinka, is located overlooking the Neri River. The Mursi villages located between 60 and 100 km from the park headquarters change location regularly. Once past the village gate, new arrivals are immediately snapped up by the Mursi, who are all looking to negotiate their image for 5 or 10 birrs! Unfortunately, this is the tribe most perverted by tourism. It's essential to agree on the price of each shot (you can negotiate for 5 birrs), and above all beware of trying to "steal" photos! If nothing seems to discourage tourists eager to discover this mythical ethnic group, it's not impossible that some feel uncomfortable faced with the ardor of these warriors with whom it seems pointless to establish any form of communication. It's best to leave your camera in the car for a while, and above all to visit the most remote villages, which are obviously the least visited, even if access to them means enduring particularly chaotic tracks. Despite the temperature, we advise you to wear long clothing to avoid being bitten by tsetse flies, which sometimes swarm in these parts during the rainy season. Their presence has the advantage of keeping natives and their herds away from the protected areas of the park. To avoid exiting the park via Jinka, it is possible to take the Murlé trail and visit the Karo villages along the way, and from there reach Turmi or Omoraté. Of course, this route can also be taken in the opposite direction. In both cases, it is advisable to check on the condition of the tracks, which are always very uneven, before embarking on this excursion.

Smart tip. The nearest Mursi camps are the most visited, and interaction is sometimes complicated because money is at the center of everything. Push on a little further to get to a little-visited village, even if it means losing a few hours - you haven't come this far to worry about that! If you continue even further, you can also visit the Bodi.

A small river crossing on a pirogue, a guide and entrance to the village are all included. The Dassanech are unique in the region, but the interaction is rather focused on birrs and photos, and the guide doesn't always know their traditions well, which is a pity. The village is very isolated on the Kenyan border, and it takes half a day to get there and back from Turmi. So if you really want to do it, you'll need to take your time.

When it was built in 1900, before being converted into a church, it was intended to be the residence of Emperor Menelik II, who wanted to build his capital here, which explains its unusual rectangular shape. Richly decorated with paintings on the outside, you can see pretty Abyssinian lions and lionesses painted on the façade, and rich ornamental friezes around the doors and windows. Inside, the frescoes are more classical. Nearby, a small museum displays relics from the imperial era, as well as religious objects.

Only a few ruins remain of what was the king's palace during his short reign from 1607 to 1632. It was built by Pedro Páez, the Spanish Jesuit sent from Goa as a missionary to Abyssinia. Páez befriended Emperor Susenyos, who invited him to his coronation in Aksum in 1609. It was with his help that he later converted to Catholicism. In gratitude, the emperor offered him a piece of land in Gorgora. Pedro Páez's architectural skills enabled him to build the Jesuit church of Debre Sina and the Susenyos palace.

Like many churches in Ethiopia, this church bears the name "Mount Sinai". Built in 1608 by Emperor Susenyo when Gorgora was the capital, it features rich paintings from an original monastery built in the ^14th century, in a good state of preservation. The site is particularly beautiful, on an outcrop of land on the shores of Lake Tana. Local belief attributes healing powers to the painting of Saint Mary the Egyptian, which is different from the others.

Founded by Ivo Strecker, an anthropologist who spent thirty years in the Omo Valley, this research center, the anthropologists' HQ, houses an interesting little museum devoted to the rites and beliefs of the region's peoples and their confrontation with the modern world. A mine of information on life, culture and ritual practices. There's also a collection of objects, crafts and jewelry... Situated on a hill overlooking the town, it offers a lovely panoramic view. Bookshop.

To get to the Omo National Park, you have to pass through Mizan Teferi, already a 4-hour drive from Jimma, to reach Maji in another 3 hours. The Omo National Park headquarters and overnight camp are located on the banks of the Mui River, 3 hours south of Maji. From here, a scout is required to reach the best sites in the park. This is a very isolated park, where you'll need to plan to camp, as it's impossible to visit in a day. You'll also need to check safety conditions before setting off.

The guides know these villages of the Arboré ethnic group, where tourists are permitted. It's interesting to discover the life of this tribe, whose traditions are very particular and different from those of neighboring ethnic groups. They are immediately recognizable by the large, colorful beaded necklaces worn by their women. Not to be confused with the Nyangatom, who also have beaded necklaces, but quite different from those of the Arboré.

Called Chew Bahir ("salt sea") in Amharic, and also known as Lake Stephanie, it lies at the end of the Ethiopian Rift, less than 400 m above sea level. The flooded surface area of this basin depends on its supply by the Segan and Weyto rivers. In the dry season, evaporation causes the lake to cover only 10% of its surface area, leaving areas crystallized by rising salinity. After the rains, a more diversified wildlife takes possession of the swampy area, with herbivores attracting their predators in their wake.

Discover the famous traditional huts of this people. The original finesse of their construction, in the shape of a huge beehive, will delight architecture enthusiasts. The Dorzé community is also home to a cooperative of twenty-eight weavers. All kinds of beautifully crafted scarves are on sale, as are small handicrafts ranging from horn spoons to six-string lyres. A very nice visit, a very warm welcome, a real "coup de coeur".

The island of Tullu Guddu is home to the ruins of the original monastery which, according to local legend, welcomed the Ark of the Covenant as it fled from Aksum in the ^9th century. It is now inhabited only by a few raccoons. You'll pass through picturesque villages on the island and come across fishermen on their papyrus boats, the tankwa. The priest who shows you around the new church (of little interest) is loquacious about Ethiopia's Christian history. A museum houses some famous holy books, beautifully illuminated and over seven hundred years old.