Laura and I spent a day in Gonder and Axum each one weekend. These two places are both packed with history, but one day in each location was doable. Each has served as the capital city of Ethiopia in the past as has Lalibela, a city that we visited much earlier in our stay.
Saturday was our day in Gonder. Gonder is the largest city in the Amhara region in northwest Ethiopia. It is known for its rather large royal enclosure, a complex of castles that has led the city to be known as "the Camelot of Ethiopia."
King Fasilides established Gonder as the Ethiopian capital around 1635 and remained the Imperial capital until 1855 when the capital was relocated.
"After the conquest of Ethiopia by the Kingdom of Italy in 1936, Gondar was further developed under Italian occupation. During the Second World War, Italian forces made their last stand in Gondar in November 1941, after Addis Ababa fell to British forces six months before. The area of Gondar was one of the main centers of activity of Italian guerrilla against the British forces until summer 1943." (Information found here.)
Some pictures of the remaining ruins of the Royal Enclosure are below.
Another point of interest in Gonder is Fasilides' Bath. This is essentially a huge concrete swimming pool that originally served as a bath for residents of Gonder and Emperor Fasilides' subjects. However, it has developed into a central venue for Timkat, or Epiphany, celebrations. Timkat is the Ethiopian Orthodox festival that celebrates Christ's baptism in the Jordan River. It is celebrated on the 19th of January (20th during leap years), 12 days following the Orthodox celebration of Christmas.
During the ceremonies of Timkat, the Tabot, a model of the Ark of the Covenant, which is present on every Ethiopian altar (somewhat like the Western altar stone), is reverently wrapped in rich cloth and born in procession on the head of the priest. The Tabot, which is otherwise rarely seen by the laity, represents the manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah when he came to the Jordan for baptism. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated near a stream or pool early in the morning (around 2 a.m.). Then the nearby body of water is blessed towards dawn and sprinkled on the participants, some of whom enter the water and immerse themselves, symbolically renewing their baptismal vows.
Saturday was our day in Gonder. Gonder is the largest city in the Amhara region in northwest Ethiopia. It is known for its rather large royal enclosure, a complex of castles that has led the city to be known as "the Camelot of Ethiopia."
King Fasilides established Gonder as the Ethiopian capital around 1635 and remained the Imperial capital until 1855 when the capital was relocated.
"After the conquest of Ethiopia by the Kingdom of Italy in 1936, Gondar was further developed under Italian occupation. During the Second World War, Italian forces made their last stand in Gondar in November 1941, after Addis Ababa fell to British forces six months before. The area of Gondar was one of the main centers of activity of Italian guerrilla against the British forces until summer 1943." (Information found here.)
Some pictures of the remaining ruins of the Royal Enclosure are below.
Another point of interest in Gonder is Fasilides' Bath. This is essentially a huge concrete swimming pool that originally served as a bath for residents of Gonder and Emperor Fasilides' subjects. However, it has developed into a central venue for Timkat, or Epiphany, celebrations. Timkat is the Ethiopian Orthodox festival that celebrates Christ's baptism in the Jordan River. It is celebrated on the 19th of January (20th during leap years), 12 days following the Orthodox celebration of Christmas.
During the ceremonies of Timkat, the Tabot, a model of the Ark of the Covenant, which is present on every Ethiopian altar (somewhat like the Western altar stone), is reverently wrapped in rich cloth and born in procession on the head of the priest. The Tabot, which is otherwise rarely seen by the laity, represents the manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah when he came to the Jordan for baptism. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated near a stream or pool early in the morning (around 2 a.m.). Then the nearby body of water is blessed towards dawn and sprinkled on the participants, some of whom enter the water and immerse themselves, symbolically renewing their baptismal vows.
The pictures below are of a searched and downloaded image of Timkat festivities at Fasilides' Bath along with some photos of the empty Bath that I captured during our visit.
The other site that Laura and I took in while in Gonder was Debre Birhan Selassie Church, which was only about 2 km outside of the city. We walked to the church where we found some really beautiful iconography. There was also a priest there teaching a young parishioner Ge'ez, the ancient Ethiopian language currently used only in ecclesiastical settings. The priest engaged us for a bit about Christianity and the landscape in America versus what we have found in Ethiopia. A few photos of our visit to that church are below.
The next day we took the short flight to Axum. This city is located in Tigrai, the same region that holds the Millennium Villages in Ethiopia. Its claims to fame are multiple. There are over 300 stelae, or pillars, of various shapes and sizes throughout the city. Along with the stelae, site of the palace of the Queen of Sheba along with her bath are in Axum as well as the church that holds the Ark of the Covenant. The tombs of a number of ancient Ethiopian emperors are also in Axum.
Our first stop was a site where we found a number of stelae, including one that had toppled at an unknown time and for an unknown reason. Each stele is made of one piece of granite. Some have detailed patterns etched into them while others are merely flat surfaces. I've attached a few pictures of the towering pillars below.
The Queen of Sheba, who married the King Solomon of Israel, held her palace in Axum. It has been excavated and partially rebuilt. The only original parts are the steps, made of granite. The rooms that were specifically shown to us were the throne room, the original brick oven and the Queen's bathroom. Interesting...
Her swimming pool, which also still has the original steps set into the mountain side, was also seen. The locals boys and men still use the pool for bathing, swimming while the women gather water from the same pool for their homes. Axum is in the region where the Sub-Saharan region transitions into the Saharan desert. Therefore, it is rather arid there when the rainy season closes. Water is a precious resource. It is a blessing to have access to water even though it may be murky bath/swimming water.
Her swimming pool, which also still has the original steps set into the mountain side, was also seen. The locals boys and men still use the pool for bathing, swimming while the women gather water from the same pool for their homes. Axum is in the region where the Sub-Saharan region transitions into the Saharan desert. Therefore, it is rather arid there when the rainy season closes. Water is a precious resource. It is a blessing to have access to water even though it may be murky bath/swimming water.
Our final stop that day was at the site that allegedly holds the Ark of the Covenant. I mean, this thing holds the original 10 Commandments given by God to Moses. But, it's only ever seen by one person at any given time. One monk is named as the keeper of the Ark and remains the only person on earth who can see it. That particular monk remains the guard until he dies when another one is named who will also serve that post until he dies, and so on. Women are not even allowed in to the church that stands above where the Ark is housed. But, there is a huge church built by Emperor Haile Selassie for both men and women. It is big and beautiful. One of the deacons took us into that church. Of course, since it is Axum, the bell tower mimics a stele. Pictures below...
It was a busy and history-packed trip. When some tourists visit Ethiopia, they elect to skip Axum as a stop on their tours. Axum suffers from not having the best of lodging and restaurants. Laura didn't fare so well from her meals there. Our hotel, the Exodus Hotel, was very basic, but it was clean and the staff was very nice. It was ridiculously cheap to boot. But, on a good note, business are being developed there that will accommodate a more western audience as far as tourism goes. Nonetheless, I would definitely suggest visiting if the will to battle the food is there. Or, just bring some safe, packaged food from elsewhere for the stay there. Cheers.
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