|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ethiopia, the oldest independent nation in Africa, has a
heritage dating back to the first century AD. Traders from
Greece, Rome, Persia and Egypt knew of the riches of what is
now Ethiopia, and by the first century AD, Axum was the
capital of a great empire.
This
realm became one of the first Christian lands of Africa.
Late in the 10th Century, Axum declined and a new Zagwe
dynasty, centered in what is now Lalibela, ruled the land. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
Axum, Lalibela and Gonder now provide the
greatest historii cal legacy. It was in the 16th
Century that the son of the great explorer Vasco
Da Gama came to Ethiopia. He found a land of
many kingdoms and provinces beset by feuds and
war. In the 19th Century, under the leadership
of the great Emperor Menelik, the country's
passage to modernization began.
|
|
Ethiopia has a proud and long history extending
to the known beginnings of human kind. The
Axumite kingdom was one of the great
civilizations of the ancient world and has left
behind the mystery of the great Stellae found at
Axum. In the late middle Ages great religious
civilizations flourished in many parts of the
country, particularly at Lalibela where churches
hand carved out of massive monolithic red rock
testify not only to great faith but also to
great architectural skills. And in the former
capital of Gondar many significant castles speak
of the same. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Ethiopia, an old country beyond all imaginations, has
culture and traditions dating back over 3000 years. With
over 80 different Ethnic groups with their own language,
culture and traditions. The strong religious setting,
celebrations and festivals play an important part in every
ones daily life. Church ceremonies are a major feature of
Ethiopian life.
The
events are impressive and unique. The Ethiopian Orthodox
Church has its own head, follows its own customs, and is
extremely proud of its fourth century origins.
The Lower Omo is home to a remarkable mix of small,
contrasting ethnic groups not only the Bume and Konso, but
also the Gelebe, the Bodi, the Mursi, the Surma, the
Arbore, and the Hamer, to name but a few. Lifestyles are
as varied as the tribes themselves. Lacking any material,
culture and artifacts common to other cultures, these
tribes find unique ways in which to express their artistic
impulses. Both the Surma and the Karo, for example, are
experts at body painting, using clays and locally
available vegetable pigments to trace fantastic patterns
on each other's faces, chests, arms, and legs. These
designs are created purely for fun and aesthetic effect,
each artist vying to outdo his fellows.
|
| |
|
|
Ethiopia
is well endowed with a wide variety of experiences in
natural spheres to explore. The country boasts some of
the world’s most breathtaking scenery, and features an
extraordinary variety of wildlife species, as well as
a spectacular variety of plants.
Ethiopia is truly a tourist paradise- beautiful,
secretive, mysterious and extraordinary. With diverse
landscape, fauna & flora, and welcoming people, it
offers nature tourism. Ethiopia enjoys an amazing
scenic beauty. It is rich in mountains, rivers, lakes,
wildlife, plants, birds, water falls including the
famous Blue Nile Falls, and many more. The country has
nine national parks and 36 game reserve areas. For
instance, the Semien and Bale mountains are the most
spectacular and magnificent adventure sites.
Ethiopia is a land of rugged mountains (some are over
4000 meters high) broad savannah, lakes and rivers.
The unique Rift Valley is a remarkable region of
volcanic lakes, with their famous collections of
birdlife, great escarpments and stunning vistas.
Tisisat, the Blue Nile falls, must rank as one of the
greatest natural spectacles in Africa today. With 14
major wildlife reserves, Ethiopia provides a microcosm
of the entire sub-Saharan eco-system. Birdlife abounds
and indigenous animals from the rare Walia Ibex to the
shy wild ass roam free just as nature intended.
Ethiopia, after the rains, is a land decked with
flowers and with many more native plants than most
countries in Africa. Among the many natural tourist
attractions, only the principal ones are briefly given
below. |
| |
|
|
Ethiopia still retains the Julian calendar, in which
the year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each and
a 13th month of 5 days and 6 days in leap year. The
Ethiopian calendar is 8 years behind the Gregorian
calendar from January to September and 7 years behind
between September 11 and January 8.
Enkutatash means the "gift of jewels". When the famous
Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive jaunt to
visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed
her bolts by replenishing her treasury with inku or
jewels. The spring festival has been celebrated since
this early times and as the rains come to their abrupt
end, dancing and singing can be heard at every village
in the countryside. |
| |
|
|
|
Timket, feast of Epiphany is the greatest festival of
the year falling on the 19th of January, two weeks
after the Ethiopian Christmas. It is a three-day
affair beginning on the eve of Timket with dramatic
and colourful processions. The following morning the
great day itself, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River
by John the Baptist is commemorated. The sun blazes
down from a clear blue sky and the festival always
takes place in glorious weather. |
|
|
|
|
|
Christmas, called Lidet, is not the primary religious
and secular festival that it has become in Western
countries. Falling on 7 January, it is celebrated
seriously by a church service that goes on throughout
the night, with people moving from one church to
another. Tradi-- tionally, young men played a game
similar to hockey, called genna, on this day, and now
Christmas has also come to be known by that name.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meskal has been celebrated in the country for over
1600 years. The word actually means "cross" and the
feast commemorates the discovery of the cross upon
which Jesus was crucified, by the Empress Helena, the
mother of Constantine the Great. The original event
took place on 19 March 326 AD. but the feast is now
celebrated on 27 September.
Many of the rites observed throughout the festival are
said to be directly connected to the legend of Empress
Helena. On the eve of Meskal, tall branches are tied
together and yellow daisies, popularly called Meskal
Flowers, are placed at the top. During the night those
branches are gathered together in front of the
compound gates and ignited - This symbolizes the
actions of the Empress who, when no one would show the
Holy Sepulcher, lit incense and prayed for help. Where
the smoke drifted, she dug and found three roses. To
one of the three, on the True Cross of Jesus, many
miracles were attributed.
Meskal also signifies the physical presence of part of
the True Cross at the church of Egziabher Ab, the
remote mountain monastery of Gishen Mariam located 483
kms north of Addis Ababa. In this monastery, there is
a massive volume called the Tefut written during the
reign of Zera Yacob (1434 - 1468), which records the
story of how a fragment of the cross was acquired.
At
this time of the year flowers gloom on mountain and
plain and the meadows are yellow with the brilliant
Meskal daisy. Dancing, feasting, merrymaking, bonfires
and even gun salutes mark the occasion. The festival
begins by planting a green tree on Meskal eve in town
squares and village market places. Everyone brings a
pole topped with Meskal daisies to form the towering
pyramid that will be a beacon of flame. Torches of
tree branches tied up together called "Chibo" are used
to light the bundle called "Demera". |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
