The Historic Route
Legend has it that Emperor Menelik I, the son of the Queen of Sheba and king Solomon, brought the Ark of Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum, where he settled and established one of the world?s longest known, uninterrupted monarchical dynasties.
This is only one example of Ethiopia?s magnificent history, which encompasses legend and tradition, mystery and fact, from a powerful and religious ancient civilization. The well-trodden path through Ethiopia?s famous and fascinating historic sites takes you through a scenic, magnificent world of fairy-tale names such as Lalibela, Gondar, Debre Damo and Bahar Dar.
Traveling the route by plane, car or both will offer you a glimpse into a truly remarkable past. As well as many priceless historical relics, you will also see the castles at Gondar, the churches of Lalibela, hewn out of a living rock, the mysterious giant stelae at Axum, the ruins of the Queen of Sheba?s palace, and the monastery at Debre Damo, whose access is limited to men and then only by way of a rope lowered by the friendly monks above.
Taking the historic route north of Addis Ababa, the first stop is Debre Mrkos, 305 kilometers north of the capital. Here you will find the 19th century Church of Markos (Saint Mark), with its pale but beautiful painting depicting scenes of biblical and religious history.
Bahar Dar
Bahar Dar, the next stop, is 578 kilometers from Addis Ababa, has daily Ethiopian airlines flights and a number of good hotels and is located on the southern shores of Lake Tana, the source of Blue Nile, with its ancient island monasteries and both the blue Nile and the White Nile?s most spectacular feature, the Tis Isat waterfalls.
On the island of Dega Estefanos, you will find the church of Saint Stafanos which has a priceless collection of icons and manuscripts and houses the mummified remains of a number of Ethiopian emperors.
For the modern traveler, the staring point of any visit to the Blue Nile Falls, or to be the islands of Lake Tana, is the bustling market and town of Bahar Dar on the lake?s south-eastern shore. The colorful markets and a variety of handicrafts and weaving centers also make it a comfortable base for excursion by land or water. Bahar Dar port provides access by boat to a number of historic lake-side churches and monasteries near and far. Most date from the 17th century and have beautifully painted walls. Many such places of worship now have fascinating museums, at which the visitor cab see priceless illustrated manuscripts, historic crowns and fines royal and ecclesiastical robes. Some monastic islands are forbidden to women, but others can be visited by both sexes.
Visitors to Bahar Dar can also see tankwas, locally made canoes, made out of the papyrus reeds growing by the lake shores, as well as historic old building erected in St. Goerges church compound by the 17th century Spanish Jesuit, Pero Paes.
Gondar
The next stop on the Historic route is the graceful city of Gondar, founded by Emperor Fasilidas in the 1635. The city was Ethiopia?s capital until the reign of the would-be reforming Emperor Tewodros II, also known as Theodore. During its long years as a capital, the settlement emerged as one of the largest and most popular cities in the realm. It was a great commercial center, trading with the rich lands south of the Blue Nile, as well as with Sudan to the West, and the Red See port of Massawa to the North-east.
Gondar is for famous for its many medieval castles and the design and decoration of its churches. The earliest of the castles was created by Fasilidas himself and is still in such an excellent state of repair that it is possible to climb its stairs all the way to the roof, which commands a breathtaking view over much of the city. Besides the famous palaces, visitors should inspect the so-called ?Bathing Place of Emperor Fasilidas?. Which is used for the annual Timiket or Epiphany celebrations, and the abbey the redoubtable 18th century Empress Mentewab at Qwesquam, in the mountains just outside Gondar.
Lalibela
Hundreds of miles to the south and east of Axum is another ancient settlement, Lalibela, which is also famous for its architecture. Lalibela, is a city carved from legend ? mediaeval settlement in the Lasta area of Wollo that is the site of 11 remarkable rock-hewn monolithic churches, believed to have been built by King Lalibela in the late 12th or early 13th century. These notable structures are carved inside and outside of the solid rock, and are considered among the wonders of the world. Each building is architecturally unique, and several of them are decorated with fascinating rock paintings. The unadulterated biblical atmosphere and vivid local color of the Timket celebrations provide an ideal opportunity to see Lalibela as a sacred center whose roots go back to man?s very early years.
Yeha, Axum, Debre Damo
The journey through Ethiopia?s historic route takes you on rough tracks, through dramatic highland scenery and eventually ends in a beautiful and serene agricultural hamlet. It is here that you may see the towering ruins of Yeha?s Temple of the Moon ? an imposing rectangular edifice built more than 2,500 years ago. The temple speaks eloquently of the works of an early high civilization, although little is actually known about the people who built this great edifice.
Much more is known about the historic highland city of Axum, once a great commercial center, trading via the Red Sea port of Adulis and founded perhaps 500 years after the decline of Yeha. Axum stands in the highlands of north western Tigray, commanding spectacular views over the nearby Adwa hills. The ancient settlement is frequently referred to as ? the sacred city of the Ethiopian?s - description that adequately sums up its significance in national culture as a center of Orthodox Christianity. Many remarkable monuments are here attesting to the great antiquity of religious expression in this country, and as a former capital that has never lost its special appeal to the hearts and minds of all Ethiopians.
Axum is renowned for its Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion, where legend has it, the original Ark of the Covenant is housed. Axum is also famous for its seven mysterious monolithic stelae, hewn from single pieces of solid granite. The most notable are carved to resemble multi-storey houses; several weight weigh more than 500 tons and stands 20 meters high. They seem less like prayers of stone and more like lightning-rods to heaven.
Axume?s greatest significance, however, is as the epic center of the Queen of Sheba?s dynasty, upon which rests the notion for the sacred kinship of the Semitic peoples of Ethiopia ? a notion that links the recent past to ancient times. The former Emperor Haile Selassie is claimed to be the 22nd monarch of the Solomonic line. His death in 1975 marked the end of an era ? and the beginning of the end of an entire way of life
Some four hours drive from Axum ? plus a further two hours stiff uphill walk from the point where the road ends ? lies the monastery of Debre Damo, situated on a clifftop in one of the wildest parts of Tigray. Debre Damo is unique and unforgettable. The bluff on which Damo stands is a real-life Shangri-La. Remote and beautiful, far from the hustle and bustle of 21st century, the cool celestial island of rock offers panoramic views over the surrounding countryside and complete seclusion and peace for the 100 or so monks and deacons who live there. The monastery?s treasures include an extensive collection of illustrated manuscripts and the intricate carvings on the beams and ceiling of the ancient church around which the monastery is built.
Harar
No journey along Ethiopia?s fabled historic route would be complete without a visit to the medieval walled city of Harar, which stands amid green mountains on the east wall of the Great Rift Valley. Harar?s heritage is almost entirely Muslim and Oriental.
Harar has probably always had a great deal more in common with the Horn?s costal culture than with the life of the highlands ? and it retains to this day a certain redolence of the Orient. The most dominant features, apart from its strong encircling walls, is its rich and exciting market place ? probably the most colorful in Ethiopia. Its Islamic character is best expressed in the Grand Mosque (Al Jami), which dominates the town.
Rightly renowned for its intricately worked filigree jewellery of silver, gold and amber, Harar?s Megalo Gudo market is also a center for beautiful basket of woven grass, decorative wall-mats and bright shawls, as well as all the fruits, vegetables, spices and grains of the province. Harar?s five gates ? the only means to enter or leave the city center ? have been strongly guarded over the years.
