The Christian North

Axum
Legend has it that the famous Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum, to which many Ethiopian Orthodox Christians make a yearly pilgrimage, is the repository of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark is said to have been stolen (with God's will) from the temple of Jerusalem by Menelik I (King Solomon’s own son by the Queen of Sheba). The secret chamber in which the Ark is hidden is not accessible to anyone, including the Ethiopian emperors. (Wikipedia)

Axum is equally, mysterious for its monolithic granite stellae. It is not known exactly by whom they were fashioned and for what purpose. The biggest monolith measures over thirty-three meters and weighs about 500 tons. It fell down at some period in the past, and now lies in broken fragments on the ground. The second largest Stella, which measured 24 meters high, had also fallen down and was stolen by the invading forces of Fascist Italy and taken to Rome, where it stood, from 1937 to 2005, when it finally returned to Ethiopia.















Lalibela
After the decline of the Axumite Empire in the 10th century AD, Ethiopia’s rulers retreated with their Christian subjects to the lofty escarpment of the central uplands. There, protected by mountain battlements more formidable than anything the hand of man could fashion, they were able to repel an increasingly expansionist Islam, trapping and confusing their enemies in the precipitous maze of valleys that intersects the highland plateau. And a siege mentality soon took root; an intense suspicion of the motives of strangers and a protective secrecy. But in holding back those who sought to supplant their faith, the highlanders had cut themselves off from the evolving mainstream of Christian culture. Many improvisations have endured to the present day as expressions of Christian Ethiopian culture. Paramount among these legacies is the monastic settlement of Lallibela, on a natural 2,600-metre rock terrace surrounded on all sides by rugged mountains in the province of Wollo.

After the decline of the Axumite Empire in the 10th century AD, Ethiopia’s rulers retreated with their Christian subjects to the lofty escarpment of the central uplands. There, protected by mountain battlements more formidable than anything the hand of man could fashion, they were able to repel an increasingly expansionist Islam, trapping and confusing their enemies in the precipitous maze of valleys that intersects the highland plateau. And a siege mentality soon took root; an intense suspicion of the motives of strangers and a protective secrecy. But in holding back those who sought to supplant their faith, the highlanders had cut themselves off from the evolving mainstream of Christian culture. Many improvisations have endured to the present day as expressions of Christian Ethiopian culture. Paramount among these legacies is the monastic settlement of Lallibela, on a natural 2,600-metre rock terrace surrounded on all sides by rugged mountains in the province of Wollo.

Once the thriving and populous capital city of a medieval dynasty, the passing centuries have reduced Lalibela to a village. From the road below, it is little more than invisible against a horizon dominated by the 4,200-metre peak of Mount Abuna Joseph. Previously known as Roha, Lalibela is named after the king Lalibela, born in Roha in the second half of the twelfth century. He was the youngest son of the royal line of the Zagwe dynasty, which then ruled over much of northern Ethiopia.

When he was crowned, he gathered masons, carpenters and tools, set down a scale of wages and purchased the land needed for the building. The churches are said to have been built with great speed because angels continued the work at night. These towering edifices were hewn out of the solid, red volcanic tuff on which they stand. Close examination is required to appreciate the full extent of the achievement because, like medieval mysteries, much effort has been made to cloak their nature. Some lie almost completely hidden in deep trenches, while others stand in open quarried caves. A complex and bewildering labyrinth of tunnels and narrow passageways with offset crypts, grottoes and galleries connects them all – a cool, lichen – enshrouded, subterranean world, shaded and damp, silent but for the faint echoes of distant footfalls as priests and deacons go about their timeless business.

Bahr Dar and Around
Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile is the largest lake in Ethiopia. Located in the north-western Ethiopian highlands in the Gojam of the Amhara region, it is 84 kilometers long and 66 kilometers wide, with a maximum depth of 15 meters, and an elevation of 1,840 meters. It has a number of islands, whose numbers vary depending on the level of the lake. It has fallen about 6 feet in the last 400 years. According to Manoel de Almeida (who was a Portuguese missionary in the early 17th century), there were 21 islands, seven to eight of which had monasteries on them "formerly large, but now much diminished." When James Bruce visited the area in the later 18th century, he noted that the locals counted 45 inhabited islands, but stated he believed that "the number may be about eleven." A more modern geographer named 37 islands, of which he believed 19 have or had monasteries or churches on them. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tana)

Blue Nile Falls
The Blue Nile Falls are on the Blue Nile (Abay) river, about 30km downstream from Bahir Dar. They are known as Tis Issat in Amharic, meaning "water and smoke." The falls are around 45 meters high, consisting of four streams that originally varied from a trickle in the dry season to over 400 meters wide in the rainy season. But, regulation of Lake Tana now reduces the variation somewhat and since 2003 a hydro-electric station has taken much of the flow out of the falls except during the rainy season. A short distance further downstream sits the first stone bridge constructed in Ethiopia, built at the command of Emperor Susenyos in 1626.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Nile_Falls)

Oromia Region
Straddling the very heart of Ethiopia, The Oromia Regional State is the largest of Ethiopia’s States (both in population and area). It is blessed with abundant cultural and natural wealth; stunning landscapes and ecologies ranging from semi desert steppe to afro-alpine highlands (soaring up to 4377m at Tullu Dimtu); mountain massif terrains, river gorges, moist tropical forests, magnificent water falls, lakes and rivers. Source: http://www.oromiatourism.gov.et/Oromia/index.html

The Sof Omer Caves
Sof Omer is one of the most spectacular and extensive underground cave systems in the world. Formed by the Weyb River, as it changed its course in the distant past and carved out a new channel through limestone foothills, the Sof Omer system is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty. The Cave which is now an important Islamic Shrine, was named after the saintly Sheikh Sof Omer, who took refuge there many centuries ago.  It has a religious history that predates the arrival of the Muslims in Bale - a history calibrated in thousands of years.

Yabello Sanctuary and Other Wildlife Areas
Yabello Sanctuary, though originally established for the protection of Swayne’s Hartebeest, has become predominantly a habitat of Burchell’s Zebra. The sanctuary is 17 km away from the nearby town Yabello to the east or 205 km far from the border town Moyalé (and about 100km from Konso). This savannah/acacia habitat is also a home of greater and lesser Kudu, Gerenuck, and other mammals. The reserve is also home to about 194 species of birds. The other localities with wildlife concentrations are the Sarité plain and Forolé depression, which offer incredible spectacle of oryx, zebra, hartebeest, ostrich, gerenuk, gazelle, lion and other mammals.

Babbile Elephant Sanctuary
Shared between Oromia and Somali Regional States, the Sanctuary covers an area of 6982km2, situated south east of Harar and south of Babbilé town. It was established for the protection of the endemic Lodinta africana oreleansi elephant sub species. Apart from the elephant, this semi arid and wood-land sanctuary is also a habitat for a number of mammals including black mained lion, Kudu (greater and lesser) and wild Ass.

Awash National Park
The Awash National Park, covers 756 km2, situated at 225km south-east of Addis Ababa, on the plain of the Rift Valley, through which the Djibouti railway passes. Establish in 1966, Awash National Park is the first officially gazetted wildlife reserve in the country. With the exception of the 2600 metre mountain, Fantallé, the park area is predominantly covered with shrub, bush, acacia and open grass lands.

The main tourist attractions of the park include 46 major species of mammals (six of which are endemic to Ethiopia) including greater and lesser kudu, oryx, bush buck, dik-dik, gazzelle, fox, klipspringer, cheetah and lion. Four hundred and thirty five birds species are also present including secretary birds, ground hornbill, carmine bee eater, roller and birds of riverine forest like coucal, turaco and goaway. The Awash River waterfall and the volcanic Fantallé mountain, which rises majestically over the surrounding low land, offer fantastic scenery, while the hot water Palm Springs in the north of the park offer a natural swimming pool amongst the palm trees. The park has a camping site equipped with 22 caravans, strung along the gently flowing Awash River. Visitors can camp under riverine trees, giving opportunity to see crocodiles in the river and other larger animals that come to water.

The Walled City of Harar
Harar is an ancient city surrounded by great walls with the most colourful market place in Ethiopia. Harar was for centuries the main centre for Islamic learning and culture in Ethiopia, and a prosperous centre for the caravan trade. Harar is the spiritual heart of Ethiopia's large Muslim community. With over 90 mosques in a small city of less than one square mile (the highest concentration in the world), Harar is considered by some to be the fourth holiest Muslim city in the world. The city was founded in the early 12th century. The great walls surrounding Harar were built in the 1600s to keep out powerful neighbouring hostile groups. Harar remained an important centre of Muslim learning and trade throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Only Muslims were allowed to enter its great walls.

The first European to visit Harar was the British explorer Richard Burton. Burton spent 10 anxious days there in 1854, not sure whether he was a guest or prisoner of the Emir. Another famous 19th century visitor was the French Poet Arthur Rimbaud who abandoned poetry at the age of 19, and then after 7 footloose years in Europe, moved to Harar in 1880. Rimbaud remained in Harar until his death in 1891. The house where he lived is now a museum.

Harar's autonomy ended in 1875 with its capture by Egypt. The Egyptians left in 1884 after continued resistance. However, Harar was once again captured, this time by Menelik II three years later. It has been part of Ethiopia ever since. Today, Harar remains a lively, friendly cosmopolitan city. Population approximates 130,000, is 100% Muslim, and literate.

http://www.zawaj.com/weddingways/harar.html

Harar Photo-Essay
http://www.mediaethiopia.com/photoessay/photo_essay_Harer.htm

Simien Mountain Range
The Simien Mountains in the north of Ethiopia have been designated a World Heritage Site. The area includes many summits over 4000 meters, the highest being Ras Deshen, the fourth highest mountain in Africa. Simien Mountains comprise several major plateaux, which are underlain by basalt lavas thousands of meters thick. It is the erosion of these lavas that has created the dramatic escarpments and freestanding pinnacles which are characteristic of the Simien range and which are comparable in terms of spectacle to the Grand Canyon. (Source: www.keadventure.com)

The Bale Highlands
Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) is the largest remaining alpine habitat on the African continent. It was declared in 1970 and is currently 2200km2 in area. The Park contains the biggest continuous area of Afro-alpine (~1000 km2, circa 17.5% of all Afro-alpine) and a large proportion of the second largest moist tropical forest in Ethiopia.

Bale Mountains National Park gives you opportunities for unsurpassed mountain walking, horse trekking, scenic driving and the changes to view many of Ethiopia's endemic mammals, in particular the Ethiopian Red Wolf, Menelik's Bushbuck and the mountain Nyala. It supports the largest population of Ethiopian wolves (~350 individuals, 55% of the global population), Mountain Nyala (~1000 individuals, 50% of the global population), and many other endemic species and important populations like giant mole-rats and the Bale monkey are found in the park. Birds such as the Thick-billed Raven, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, Rouget's Rail, etc. are also present. The wetlands and forests of Bale are the source of major rivers which provide a significant proportion of the perennial water supply to approximately 10 million people in South-eastern Ethiopia and Somalia.
(http://www.africanadventuretours.net/bale.html)

Info on Bale Trekking: http://www.baletrek.com/about.php

Dallol Depression
The lowest place in the world (over 116 meters below sea level) is located in Northeast Ethiopia. The daytime temperature reaches between 50 and 60 degrees centigrade. Here the earth's crust is thin, and hot yellow sulphur fields staining the dazzling white of salt beds, are a constant reminder of continuing seismic activity. Amidst the yellow and reeking sulphur fields, alarming earth tremors are frequently felt, and there are several still-active volcanoes - dying reminders of the past furies that once ravaged this zone and bequeathed to it a burnt out and ravaged landscape that seems carved from the infernos of hell. (http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/green/gly06/html/eth_attractions3.htm)