MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION PLACES

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L alibela Lalibela, a medieval settlement in the Lasta area of Wello, lies at the centre of an extensive complex of rock churches. Lalibela has 11 remarkable rock‐hewn monolithic, semi‐monolithic and cave built churches, built by one of the Zagwe Dynasty rulers, King Lalibela in the late 12 th and early 13 th century. These notable structures are carved, inside and out, out of one solid rock, and are the Unofficial eighth wonders of the world. Each building is architecturally unique but each reflects beautifully executed craftsmanship, and several are decorated with fascinating paintings. Four are completely free‐standing, attached only to the surrounding rock by their bases. These are Beta Medhane Alem, the House of the Savior of the World; Beta Ghenetta Mariam, the House 1 [TAG Tour and Travel]…Travel in style MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION PLACES Ethiopia is one of the states which are found at the horn Africa. These state embraced a 3,000 years history…including the African iconic relic (the cradle of man kind…Lucy), well known by the historical, the natural, the wildlife and the cultural tourism including the other tourism activities that doesn’t mansion here. This incredible and suitable country is also got the 8 world heritage sites which offer a lot other attraction that doesn’t known by the tourists or other people who are not in the country. More over other side of the globe know this country by the bad side of the images like famine and poverty, and they still tend to live Roha the

Transcript of MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION PLACES

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L

alibela

Lalibela, a medieval settlement in the Lasta area of Wello, lies at the centre of an extensive complex of rock churches. Lalibela has 11 remarkable rock‐hewn monolithic, semi‐monolithic and cave built churches, built by one of the Zagwe Dynasty rulers, King Lalibela in the late 12th and early 13th century. These notable structures are carved, inside and out, out of one solid rock, and are the Unofficial eighth wonders of the world. Each building is architecturally unique but each reflects beautifully executed craftsmanship, and several are decorated with fascinating paintings. Four are completely free‐standing, attached only to the surrounding rock by their bases. These are Beta Medhane Alem, the House of the Savior of the World; Beta Ghenetta Mariam, the House of Mary; Beta Ammanuel, the House of Emanuel; and Beta Ghiorghis, the House of St George. Although their individual

dimensions and configurations are extremely different, the churches are all built from great blocks of stone, sculptured to resemble normal buildings and wholly isolated within deep courtyards. They represent, as one authority has

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MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION PLACES Ethiopia is one of the states which are found at the horn Africa. These state embraced a 3,000 years history…including the African iconic relic (the cradle of man kind…Lucy), well known by the historical, the natural, the wildlife and the cultural tourism including the other tourism activities that doesn’t mansion here. This incredible and suitable country is also got the 8 world heritage sites which offer a lot other attraction that doesn’t known by the tourists or other people who are not in the country. More over other side of the globe know this country by the bad side of the images like famine and poverty, and they still tend to live with this mismatch information. To clarify and to tell you about the potential tourist attraction place that we have in our country and the benefit that you will get from these tourist attraction places by visiting or get connected or involved to these industries let see the

Roha the

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put it, the ultimate in rock‐church design. One is amazed at the technical skill, the material resources and the continuity of effort. Which such vast undertakings imply.

The Royal City of Gondar was founded by theEthiopian Negus Fasilides in the 17th century.Several of his successors built their palacesIn the same court, forming a complex of rareBeauty. The site was inscribed on UNESCO’sWorld Heritage List in 1979. Not far away,The ruins of a more ancient castle left in solitude have another story to tell. Gondar is 50 kilometers north of Lake Tana, 700 kilometers north of Addis Ababa and nestles in the foothills of the Semien mountains at an altitude of 2200

meters above sea level. Gondar, founded byKing Fusillades

in 1936 was the capital of Ethiopia for nearly 200 years. This fact

is reflected by the number of palace buildings in the castle compound. The city’s main imperial precinct, known as the Royal Enclosure, covers an area of 7.7 hectares and

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The Camelot of AfricaGondarThe K

ing

with the protrude

Ton

gu

eThe K

ing

with the protrude

Ton

gu

e

“Find a town that begins with the Word ‘go’. When you find it, you will proclaim it the capital of your kingdom. After Gojam, Gouzara and Gorgora, came Gondar.

GONDAR

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Contains five castles raised

walkways and connecting tunnels surrounded by high stone walls. The oldest of these is the Castle of Fasiledes, built of stone in the mid‐17th century, reflecting a number of influences, mainly Axumite, Portuguese and Indian. The upper storey offers panoramic views and Lake Tana is visible on a clear day.

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GONDAR

The Camelot

The Home of the

Three parks planted with giant steal, a labyrinth of royal tombs, vestiges of the Queen of Sheba’s palace, an “Ethiopian Rosetta Stone”, the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments… an incredible treasure, poised between myth and history is hidden in Aksum, where the heart of ancient Ethiopia still beats.

Axum is an ancient town in northern Ethiopia. It lies at an elevation of about 2100 meters just west of Adwa in Tigrai region. Once the seat ofthe kingdom of Axum, it is now a tourist town and religious centre best known for its antiquities tall granite obelisks, 126 in all, stand (or lie broken) in the central square. Once measuring 33 meters, now fallen, is said to be the tallest obelisk ever erected. The obelisks range from nearly plain slabs to intricately inscribed pillars. Door and window‐likeShapes are carved into some of the pillars, giving them the appearance of slender buildings. The most recent of the obelisks announces theAdoption of Christianity in the 4th century by king Ezana. At least 27 carved stone thrones have been

AXUM

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The Intangible Treasures of Lake Tana

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AKSUM

How did the Ark of the Covenant end up in Aksum?

Well, it was brought from Jerusalem by Menelik, first king of Ethiopia, son of a king of Israel and Queen Makeda. Some say he was the born to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. About 30 centuriesAgo he founded the Solomonic dynasty, of which the last Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie, (1892-1974)Claimed to descend. “According to tradition, Menelik hid the Ark of the Covenant in his mother’s

The Queen of Sheba, mysterious as ever

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

The word Aksum is aDerivation of the word Kush, a Hebrew word, which, in

Bahir Dar

The country could be subject to fire and sword, but no invader ever troubled the serene peace of Lake Tana. For that reason, the Ethiopian kings safely hid their treasures in churches on the lake’s islands. But upon careful observation, another treasure is revealed as one discovers the mural paintings in these churches: they can be read like a book of Ethiopian history.

At dawn, coming up to Dek, the largest of the 30-odd islands and islets scattered on Lake Tana. Bahir Dar, capital of the Amhara Region, formsA crescent on much of its bank, opposite of which are strewn the ruins of royal palaces. The majority of Lake Tana’s churches were built between the 14th and 18th centuries, following the same architectural plan. The three circles represent the Holy Trinity. InEthiopian iconography, it is alwaysRepresented by three identical oldMen “because you cannot differentiateBetween the Father, the Son andThe Holy Spirit, in the churches of Lake Tana, the lower register of the sanctuary wall is devoted to Ethiopian history. Important moments in the lives of local kings and saints are portrayedIn successive images, telling thePeople what they cannot read in theMany Ethiopian manuscripts writtenOn parchment, as these were

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When images speak instead of words

Bahir Dar is a modern small town on the south eastern shore of Lake Tana in the north of Ethiopia. It hosts the fabled Blue Nile falls, the beautiful highland Lake Tana and 14th‐century island monastic churches. It lies on a altitude of 1850 meters and has a very nice center with wide lanes, surrounded by palm trees, lots of gardens and tropical flowers and plant. From Bahir Dar you have to explore some of the ancient monasteries that have been built around Lake Tana or on the many islands in the lake. There are 37 islands dotted all over the lake and 30 of them house churches and monasteries of great cultural and historical interest. They contain beautifulManuscripts, objects of worship and crosses dating back to the dawn of Christianity. These include Dek Stephanos, with a good collection of icons, as well as the remains of several medieval emperors, Kebran Gabriel (closed to women), and Ura Kidane Mehret with its famous frescoes.

Debre Damo

Damo is unique and unforgettable although, as with most Ethiopian monasteries, women are not allowed to enter it. Even so, there is a daunting obstacle to the monastery: the only means of access is a climb of twenty‐five meters up a sheer cliff. Monks lower a safety rope which visitors tie around their waists. Then they use a second, thicker rope to climb with. Some may reflect, as they make their way to the top, that because of this arduous, dangerous ascent the art treasures of Debra Damo have remained intact through the monastery‐s 1,400 tumultuous years of history. The treasures include an extensive collection of illuminated manuscripts ‐ among them the oldest surviving fragments of texts anywhere in Ethiopia ‐ and intricate carvings on the beams and ceiling of the ancient church around which the monastery is built. There are no murals as such, but a large number of paintings are preserved there including several that depict the legend of the foundation of Debra Damo by Abuna Aragawi. He is a Saint who is believed to have been lifted onto the cliff top by a giant serpent. According to the, the Archangel Gabriel stood by with a sword ready to slay the snake if it attacked Abuna Aragawi. It did not, however, and wrapped in its coils the Saint reached the top safely, dropping his cross on a stone, which is today kissed by all who enter the monastery.

Debre Damo

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Foot steps of generations of hermits

24-metre cliff to cover the story of the 6thcentury Debre Damo Monastery, one of the oldest and most important ones in Ethiopia…