INFORMATION northern Ethiopia Sergi Reboredo access to Ethiopia
A priest sits majestically with his cross in front of the Monastery of Birgida Maryam on one of the islands of Lake Tana. Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia is the source of the Blue Nile which begins its long journey to Khartoum and on to the Mediterranean. The 37 islands that are scattered over the surface of the churches and monastries wrap fascinating lake, some of which have histories dating back to the thirteenth century. However, it should be noted that most of the religious houses are not open to women. The most interesting islands are: Birgida Mariam, Dega Estefanous, DEK, Narga, Tana Cherkos, Mitsele Fasiledes, Kebran and Debre Maryam. Inside the debram Maryam monastery on Lake Tana fresh as you can see this. Magnificent frescoes. The monasteries of Lake are among the best preserved. Have been declared a World Heritage Site. The Church of Maria or Debre Maryam is within walking distance of the monastery of Gabriel, another island in Lake Tana and near the beginning of where the lake becomes the Blue Nile. Interior of the Church of Debre Sina Maryam, circular. The murals in Debre Sina Maaryam are considered the most complex and richer colors that have been in the region of Tana. Local tradition states that are medieval, but it's likely to be undertaken at the beginning of period gondar under the patronage of a name, Melako Tawit, represented in a mural, and older sister of Emperor Fasilidas.
     
Portrait of an Ethiopian in the area at the foot of the Blue Nile Falls (Abay River). A few years ago, the Ethiopian government inaugurated a hydroelectric plant that uses the gradient of the cataracts of the Nile water is diverted just before jumping into a turbine and produces 750 megawatts of electricity, not much, but enough to bring light and energy lead north of the country. Even left over for export. Tis Isat, the Blue Nile Falls. In the vast and beautiful Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile, the great branch which flows back in Sudan on the White Nile, the great Nile which runs through Egypt and the Mediterranean will die. The great Nile crocodiles which was inhabited by huge, and crossed by the pharaohs and priests worshiping the sun god, Ra, and the entire pantheon beneath his wings. Discover the source of the Blue Nile (Abay River in Ethiopia) was one of the big goals of the early explorers. One of those mysteries, along with the White Nile, which brought many heads. And long been confused with cataracts that sit a few miles beyond the right place (the falls are about 30 km from Bahir Dar). Portrait of a mother with her son at the foot of the Blue Nile Falls (Abay River). The Blue Nile Falls, Tis Abay AMARINA language (smoke water), are one of those mythical places with a dream when you read stories about early explorers, discoverers .. Precisely, Pedro Paez, a alcarreño born in 1564 in a village of Madrid today, was the first European "modern" was here. He was a Jesuit missionary, who became an expert on indigenous languages ??and culture, and was lucky enough to know the source of the Blue Nile in 1613.
     
A girl collects water from a nearby well to take home next to debram Maryam monastery on Lake Tana. There are 37 islands on the surface of Lake Tana, of which, 20 house churches and monasteries of immense historical and cultural value. These churches, which are decorated with beautiful paintings, in addition to give cobi jo countless treasures. Because of their isolation, are often used to store art treasures and religious relics from all over the country. Access to some of these churches is restricted to women, although they can reach the shores of the island, not allowed to move beyond. However, women do have access to the churches of the peninsula and the nearby church Zeghne of Ura Kidane Mehret, and also Narga Sellassie. Kebre Gabriel: He is known for the magnificent manuscript of the four Gospels which is believed to date from the late fourteenth or early fifteenth. Women selling souvenirs near the debram Maryam monastery on Lake Tana. The islands of Lake Tana monasteries s house. XIII and XIV, still inhabited by monks and nuns (apart, of course), which follow a secluded life, and never better, monastic ... surprised by the thinness of some of them, which are maintained with a handful of grain a day and some more! Were dundados by early Christian hermits who sought a place to leave the underworld, and there are still approaching the pilgrims, especially dates. Some local boat cross the Abay River near the Blue Nile Falls. The Blue Nile Falls is a waterfall on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. They are known as Tis Abay in Amharic, translated, means "smoking water" They are situated on the upper course of the river, about 30 km downstream from the town of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana. The falls are considered one of the best known tourist attractions of Ethiopia. The falls are estimated between 37 and 45 meters high, consisting of four streams that originally varied from a thread in the dry season of more than 400 meters wide in the rainy season.
     
Portrait of an old man in Kebran Gabriel Monastery on Lake Tana. Kebran Gabriel, the monastery near Bahar Dar, is a major tourist attraction for male visitors, as it is one of the places where women are banned. Originally established in the fourteenth century and rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Iyasy me, is a modest building, but with a different impressive cathedral. Two couples cosmopolitan upper class Ethiopians demonstrate that modernity has also come to these African lands. Ethiopia is the third fastest growing economy in the world, after China and India, with an average of 11% annually over the past five years. "The process of transformation and growth, which began a decade ago, is now an undeniable reality and you can see up on the street, since Ethiopia is one of the African countries where most rapidly growing middle class," says David J . Mülchi, Ethiopia's honorary consul in Spain, the equivalent of ambassador since there is no Ethiopian Embassy in Spain. Interior of a restaurant. Men kill times with an old TV. The injera is the typical dish found in any restaurant, bar, and in every house. The Ethiopian injera bread is. It has a very distinctive sour taste and special. It is made with teff flour (teff is a local cereal-grain gluten-very small, it is very difficult to find outside of Ethiopia).
     
Portrait of a young woman selling souvenirs near the debram Maryam monastery on Lake Tana. This lake is the largest Ethiopian lakes with 85 km long, 65 wide and a depth of approximately 14 meters. Dot the lake over 37 islands and its shores are Gorgora peninsulas, and Zeghe Mendabba (the closest and most visited for its proximity to the city). Obviously, visiting monasteries that are located within the lake, is the most important reason, but also for nature lovers and especially for ornithologists as they will have the opportunity to see storks, herons, eagles, parrots and so to 823 of which 16 species are endemic to Ethiopia, also sometimes can see crocodiles and hippos but I will say that I have not noticed anything. Patio outside the Church of Debre Sina Maryam. Flowers rampant and a local boy is wearing the shirt of FC. Barcelona. Gorgora, immediately adjacent to the camp, also has plenty of cultural attractions. It has a church dating from 1334 (rebuilt in 1608) which has beautiful frescos Copts. A few kilometers from the site are the ruins of a 17th century palace and cathedral of Susenios Emperor. From the ruins has a beautiful view across Lake Tana. A woman poses next to Birgida Maryam Monastery in one of the islands of Lake Tana. Located in the west of the country and more than two thousand square kilometers, Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia and a sacred place since time immemorial. Bushy islands stand in the distance, green upholstered to the peaks, forests conceal some of the most important monasteries and churches of the Ethiopian rite, many with more than seven hundred years old.
     
Rural environment near the entrance of the trail to Blue Nile Falls. Some donkeys tied to a post with the watchful eye of a girl who seems possessed. The Nile on its journey to the sea from Uganda and Kenya share what has been called as the White Nile from Ethiopia and what has been called as the Blue Nile. These two channels come together in the city of Khartoum, the Sudanese capital to cross the desert heading to Egypt through Nubia region where it reaches its peak, there you are immersed in the world of pharaonic pyramids, sarcophagi, as the temples of Abu Simbel and the crossing where large cities like Luxor and Cairo Nile finally come to the mythical city of Alexandria where it will mix with the Mediterranean through a vast delta. A typical Ethiopian buses crammed with people and everything that can be transported. From our point of view is the best way to experience the country, but we must say it is quite hard, mainly because the routes are endless (for example, in the northern circuit comprising two tours are travel days). Buses are always out around 6 or 7 h. morning and circulate normally never beyond 18 h. because it avoids night driving. For long journeys faithfully follow the ceremony advise bus: first of all it is convenient to buy the ticket the day before (up to 18 h.), Although the seats are not numbered and even sold more seats than they actually are. For this reason you should go to the bus station at 5 in the morning, to enter the premises of the station before the Ethiopians do so (the access door is closed until 5'30 h. Canoas Canoas papyrus to papyrus together on Lake Tana. In Woito are built the famous papyrus canoes, are also found in the Palace Bezawit and a local market. Lake Tana (also spelled T'ana; previously written as Dambea Tsana or) is the largest lake in Ethiopia, source of the Blue Nile. The lake is located in the highlands northwest of the country, to 1,840 meters, and is about 84 km long and 66 km wide. The maximum depth is 15 m and covers an area of 2,156 km ². The lake receives its water from rivers Reb, Gumara, Lesser Abay, Kilti and Magech. The lake is about thirty islands and islets, whose number varies according to the level of the lake has dropped about two meters in the last 400 years. Monasteries on Lake Tana Occidente nailed in the country and with more than three thousand square kilometers of quinientos extensions, Lake Tana is the bigger of Ethiopia and a place from Sacred tiempos immemorial. Islas is dense in yerguen LEJANO, upholstered in green hasta las CIMAS, sus forests esconden algunos de los más importantes e churches of monasteries Ethiopian rite, muchos de ellos with more years of setecientos antiques. In this lake, a dice tantas Legends READ UP NOW the Ark of the Alliance, cuando a Small Jewish Community Huia that the persecution in Egypt transported from Aswan, river reaches, through the Blue Nile, until you reach the large Lake.
     
Gondar. Castle of the Fasilidas. Most know little Spanish in Ethiopia. In the center of Gondar is the Royal Enclosure or Fasil Ghebbi, declared a World Heritage Site in 1979. The walled area has six stone castles, Portuguese style inspired Axum or Indian influences. Some are great, others more modest, there are more and less luxurious, worst and best preserved. The castle is the largest Fasilidas, the founding emperor of Gondar. Gondar, the Simien mountains feet, was founded by Fasilidas in s. XVII, and was a political, administrative, commercial, religious and cultural center for over 250 years. Its decline as a result of intrigues and dynastic struggles, worsened when Tewodoros II moved the seat of the imperial government to Debre Tabor, 100 km southeast. Later, the city was sacked by the Mahdist Sudanese during the s. XIXI, and finally occupied by Italian fascist troops in World War II. Some buildings were damaged by the bombing of the Royal Air Force during the liberation campaign. A priest makes drumming inside Debre Birhan Selassie Church (also called the Cherubim. Just outside the town of Gondar is the Debre Birhan Selassie church known for its murals, located on a hill above the city, with beautifully painted walls that have many religious stories. If you look up the eighty heads are winged Ethiopian cherubs smiling, each with a slightly different expression.'s most famous ceiling Ethiopia.
     
Exterior wall of Debre Berhan Selassie church. Along with about 11 castles and outbuildings, the seventeenth-century church of Debre Birhan Selassie is the only one that has survived the repeated destruction of Gondar at the hands of the Dervishes (Egyptian-Sudanese), the Italians and the British. Fasilidas restrooms. Crossing an old wooden gate in a friendly dozing old man who apparently is the "guardian" of all, after a brief chat we entered the premises, before our eyes has a small building "Gondarino style" which highlights a pair of two-storey towers at the foot of the building opens a pond or "pool" of about 3,000 square meters, are the famous baths of Emperor Fasilidas. The trees present in the room, aware of the beauty of the place merges with the stone wall surrounding the pond achieving a magical symbiosis. A priest at the door of the church Debre Berhan Selassie. According to legend, when the end of the nineteenth century Sudanese dervishes tried to destroy this church, a swarm of bees chased them from the place, chasing angry until the dervishes were forced to abandon their attempt. Debre Berhan Selassie Church is an intimate crammed Ethiopian art. Lives of saints, martyrs and lore are disputing the walls while dozens of winged cherubs look back at the visitor from the ceiling.
     
Inside one of the oldest houses in the city of Gondar. Gondar is a city that despite its tourism potential perceive as very impoverished, but do not know if it corresponds to the reality of the global nature of the area. Many inhabitants emigrated to America and from there send money to their families. This, along with tourism that attracts the royal enclosure, allowing the city to have an extra ticket and currency of its population does not live as the limit. Exterior of one of the oldest houses in the city of Gondar. Gondar castles full of imperial city of the ancient emperors, also in a city founded by the emperor moderna.Gondar Sagad or Fasilidas Alam in 1635 and was the last bastion of the Italian occupation, retired here when the British occupied Addis Ababa. it is surrounded by mountains and from one of them there are spectacular views of the ciudad.Recorimos several downtown streets and had tea with cardamom that is yummy. Inside one of the oldest houses in the city of Gondar. Gondar is a city that despite its tourism potential perceive as very impoverished, but do not know if it corresponds to the reality of the global nature of the area. Many inhabitants emigrated to America and from there send money to their families. This, along with tourism that attracts the royal enclosure, allowing the city to have an extra ticket and currency of its population does not live as the limit.
     
In the central square of the city of Gondar highlights the proximity of a new cafe "Facebook" next to the old church. Founded in 1636 in northwestern Ethiopia, was the seat of the court of Emperor Fasil or Fasilidas. For nearly 200 years it was real city, and commercial crossroads of the culture. Prompted one of the most fertile periods of Ethiopian art. Splendid capital whose reign lasted over two centuries from 1636 and at first was a camp set up for the emperor, nobles and officers with their servants. In the land where the most famous athletes are Haile Gebrselassie , Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba , all athletics world figures , are also given opportunity to dream in football and qualify for their first World Cup in Brazil 2014. Gas station in the downtown streets of Gondar. Gondar is a city in a valley between several mountains, is called the Camelot of Africa and is having a medieval very beautiful and quite well preserved. This city was the capital of Ethiopia for many years and claims to be very touristy. TOTAL DIESEL
     
Portrait of a Boy with Simien Mountains. The beauties of the Simien mountains are genuine and universally admired, to them it only remains contemplation. One may wonder that supernatural forces and have created this park maravilla.El Simien Mountains National has many peaks above 4000 m, with Ras Dashen the highest peak in Ethiopia and the fourth in Africa with 4620 m. With at least three different botanical areas, the park is known for its diverse ecology, fauna and flora. Three of the seven major endemic mammals of Ethiopia - the goat Walia, the Gelada baboon and the Simien red fox, are found here. Portrait on the outside of one of the oldest houses in the city of Gondar. In the Amhara region in Ethiopia, Gondar city is famous for its medieval castles and churches that were built by the emperors between 1635 and 1855 years. Until the sixteenth century, the Emperors of Ethiopia lived a nomadic life, moving from place to place within the territory that reigned, with his family, courtiers and royal guards, were set up in tents with the consequent problem that caused rains. Children play soccer outside Gondar. Gondar became so cultural and economic importance, the capital of the kingdom of Ethiopia until the late nineteenth century, when the power of the emperors began to decay, and was burned on several occasions. . Their peculiar story originated when an emperor of Ethiopia, called Alam Sagaz, aka Fasilidas in 1632 built the first castle in a village next to Lake Tana and Simen Mountains, tired of the nomadic life, and to rest during the rainy season.
     
Portrait of a child in The National Park Simien mountains. The mountains of Ethiopia are old and rounded. Few beak-shaped peaks appear in the landscape, despite the height. The mountainous horizon is wavy and sometimes flat profiles, unlike usual in the alpine landscape. Several children pose next to Simien Lodge. The National Park of the Simien Mountains is an area of ??unspoiled nature which develops at a height of about 3,000 meters. The highest peaks far exceed 4,000 meters, and the valleys and mountain cuts create unevenness with vertiginous walls in these high plains that were generated after centuries of erosion. A child plays a musical instrument craftsman, similar to a violin, made by the same and that delights everyone who hears it on top of the Simien Mountains. Located about 100 kms north of Gondar, Simien Mountains are a major mountain ranges in Africa, with at least a dozen summits over 4,000 meters. Estre these Ras Dashen is the highest point in Ethiopia with 4553 meters high, the fourth highest peak in Africa.
     
The gelada (Theropithecus gelada) is a species of primate Cercopithecidae family endemic to the Ethiopian highlands. Like baboons, are terrestrial and spend time feeding in the meadows. Some authors include in the genus Papio gelada, but since 1979 it has been included in another separate genus, Theropithecus. Theropithecus gelada is the only living species, although there are at least two separate lineages in the fossil record. Gelada Baboons are monkeys endemic Simien mountains, or whether they only occur in this region of northern Ethiopia. Monkeys are hairy and males are distinguished from females by a stain red heart-shaped having chest. They are nothing violent and you can get closer to them if you do a lot of noise, the truth is a real charmer, about all the little that are carried on the backs of the females. In Simien not only inhabit Gelada baboons. It is also suitable for other territory two endemic species: the Simien jackal of Abyssinian and the ibex, a wild goat of powerful horns. Of these, more cautious, we saw none. Baboons, however, joined us for most of the journey. No wonder, considering that nearly 8,000 living here. Sometimes you saw, in solidarity with parsimony despiojándose brotherhood, others intuías and often listened only their guttural grunts.
     
A girl carries water that has gone to pick up a nearby well in the mountains of Gheralta. Gheralta is a region of extreme beauty, with spectacular red mountains and breathtaking scenery. From Abraha Atsbeha can visit the church of Yohannes Maequddi with precious frescoes in very good condition. But you have to climb forty minutes to get there. A local woman walks among the slopes of the Simien Mountains. Simien Mountains, located in northern Ethiopia 100 km from the city of Gondar, is a beautiful mountain range was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1978. It has several peaks over four thousand feet, deep valleys and a huge variety of endemic animals like Simien wolf, Walia Ibex and Gelada baboon animal well as the hyena and leopard. A horse grazing in a valley of the Simien Mountains. It may not go so far off. Simien Mountains (which in Amharic means "North"), a World Heritage Site by Unesco, with its 180 square kilometers of unique beauty, is territory of the endemic gelada baboons. For the hiker, check how herds of up to 400 individuals of these monkeys roam at an altitude of between 2000 and 4000 meters, is a thrilling experience.
     
Debark Market. Several children play football while their parents are selling or buying. The town of Debark is the starting point to the Simien mountains one of the wonders of Etiopia.Aqui gather to buy and sell their products, the market is the heart of the town, the center of this small World.In this shirts are made with sewing machines that was your grandmother sold species, clothes, shoes, wool and a myriad of things but it is a world of scent and color. Atmosphere Arkai Adi Square, a tiny village in the mountains of Simien and Axum. The section between Debark and Adi Arkay descends nearly 2,000 feet in the mountains. The track is often hung over bottomless pits, with 180 curves without sides, and sometimes under waterfalls (some tens of meters) falling by the rock walls directly on the track. A girl filled to the brim with wood Debark market. Debark has a few shops and stalls where you can buy vegetables and some basic items. In Gondar several shops with reasonable stocks of foodstuffs. If you do not have all the necessary equipment can be rented mostly in Debark. Simien National Park rules require that all park visitors must be accompanied by an armed ranger, they charge about $ 3 per day. Hiking takes you through small villages and terraced fields in the lower valleys, before reaching a series of cliffs and escarpments. Beyond the cliffs leads to the beautiful alpine meadows and rugged wilderness areas of the high peaks.
     
A couple about to marry in the modern church of St Mary of Zion. The Church of St. Mary of Zion in Aksum (Ethiopia). It belongs to the Coptic Patriarch of Ethiopia one of the patriarchs of the Coptic Church. According to tradition, this Basilica is kept the Ark of the Covenant, which was allegedly deposited there by Menelik I, son of Solomon, although we can not fully secure because there is a whole discussion on the exact location, but the theory that is in the Church of St. Mary of Zion is the strongest. The drums play in the modern church of St Mary of Zion in the time in which a couple are about to marry. The dances and the guests vesturarios dazzle any visitor, especially to foreigners. The holiest shrine in Ethiopia is the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum town, there Ethiopians say that is the true Ark of the Covenant of the people of Israel, and is mentioned in the Old Testament. The wedding guests, perfectly dressed for the occasion, in the modern church of St Mary of Zion in Axum. In the church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum, is an artifact that confirmed its authenticity, add lots of crumbs to Ethiopian legends. Unfortunately, only a living person has seen this artifact. The Ark of the Covenant is, according to the Ethiopian Christians, locked up in this church and only official guardian can enter [non-Orthodox, Ethiopian priests we can not even bring five meters of the fence surrounding the temple] . There is no doubt of the importance of the Ark legend plays in Ethiopian Christianity and few people dare to question it.
     
The wedding procession through the streets of Axum aboard a tuc-tuc celebrating who just married his associates. Axum is the oldest city in Ethiopia and probably the world. Legend has it that in this city is created by the inhabitants of the port when it was destroyed Adulis, born Melenik I, son of King Solomon and Princess of Saba. In fact, still remain the ruins of the palace of the Queen of Saba near which there is a lake where the queen supposedly bathed and where city residents collect water as the considered magical. Some children sell souvenirs on the doors of the church of St Mary of Zion in Axum. The holiest shrine in Ethiopia is the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum town, there Ethiopians say that is the true Ark of the Covenant of the people of Israel, and is mentioned in the Old Testament ... Some priests show the sacred books of the new church of St Mary of Zion in Axum. The Ethiopian churches have several inputs: the south entrance for women and for men the north, the east can be used interchangeably. Built following a scheme inspired by the Temple of Solomon, have three parts: a choir, a sacred space where the Eucharist is distributed and a closed sanctuary accessible only to the priests. There, in that part called "holy of holies", every church keeps a Tabot, a replica of the Ark and its Tables of the Law, in a small wooden box.
     
The Ark of the Covenant in the church of St Mary of Zion in Axum. The Church of St. Mary of Zion in Aksum (Ethiopia). It belongs to the Coptic Patriarch of Ethiopia one of the patriarchs of the Coptic Church. According to tradition, this Basilica is kept the Ark of the Covenant, which was allegedly deposited there by Menelik I, son of Solomon, although we can not fully secure because there is a whole discussion on the exact location, but the theory that is in the Church of St. Mary of Zion is the strongest. The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred object that held the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and the manna that fell from heaven. Several separated children do catechesis within the precincts of the church of St Mary of Zion in Axum. the Ark of the Covenant is a relic venerated by the Ethiopians earnestly why churches keep in their most sacred enclosure a replica of the Ark of the Covenant containing the Tabot. The Tabot that is saved in the Ethiopian church is a replica (wood or stone) of the Tables of the Law would be retained in the original St. Mary of Zion in Axum. We are in Axum, before the facade of the Church of Our Lady of Sion, place where tradition says and as is currently the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the temple a single person, a priest, a chosen one, a direct descendant of the Levites, jealously guards the treasure and not allow anyone to touch or see. A devotee prays at a Coptic Christian church doors of St Mary of Zion in Axum, the place where they believe it saves the Ark of the Covenant. The disclosure of the millennium. The Ark of the Covenant, according to the Bible, is the box that contained the Tablets of the Law of Moses with the Ten Commandments, and is, without doubt, the most coveted sacred object of those who have been searched by man in different places of the earth, from Africa to the Middle East. Surrounded by mysteries, is still one of the most legendary treasures of the Old Testament. For centuries, the Ark has fired the imagination of fans, mystics, adventurers, archaeologists and writers.
     
Interior of an old mill in the village of ATBA, in which cereals into flour. This village is located near the monastery of Abba Garima. About 11 miles east of Adwa is Abba Garima Monastery, which says it was founded by one of the nine saints in the sixth century. The monastery is known for its collection of religious objects, including three of the tenth century gospels Using Adwa as a base, you can visit Yeha and Debra Damo. Some women screened in cereal grains ATBA village. The Teff, the grain arrived from Ethiopia. Teff is a cereal with great future as we will see in this article has some nutritional benefits off the charts that make it special. Source Ethiopia teff is the origin of this very small grain cereal, brown in color which has been cultivated for over 5000 years. One of their most important crops and used in your diet by this country of its grain flour is obtained, with which made ??the "ingera" a large tortilla type that accompanies the "wot" a typical dish of Ethiopia. Two workers inside an old mill in the village of ATBA, located about 11 kilometers from the monastery of Abba Garima. The Ethiopian Garima Gospels are the earliest illustrated manuscripts of Christianity. Experts placed the work in 1100 AD, but radiocarbon dating indicated that the documents were created on a date between 330 and 650 AD. The monastic tradition says that the monk Abba Garima Gospels copied in a day, after founding the Garima Monastery in northern Ethiopia, I grew to Adwa.
     
Near the ruins of Yeha many Christians live in simple stone houses. Coffee and religion are elements that must never miss. Yeha is the country's oldest temple, its construction is dated between the sixth and seventh centuries BC. It was built during the time sabaeana prior to the Axumite, although not much is known about the civilization that built the temple. Recent archaeological investigations have shown that Yeha was an extensive settlement and excavations, still unfinished, found different types of objects such as incense burners, iron weapons and pottery utensils. Two clerics at the gates of the monastery of Abba Garima. The Ethiopian Garima Gospels are the earliest illustrated manuscripts of Christianity. Experts placed the work in 1100 AD, but radiocarbon dating indicated that the documents were created on a date between 330 and 650 AD. The monastic tradition says that the monk Abba Garima Gospels copied in a day, after founding the Garima monastery in northern Eiopía, near Adwa. The two manuscripts are composed of 670 pages in total, 28 of which are illustrated, these include four portraits of evangelists and a drawing of the Temple of Solomon. Portrait of a village in Yeha. In Yeha, in addition to visits to the ruins, it is also possible to visit some of the potters. Yeha is situated in the northern mountainous section of the Tigray region. Although this small payment survives today as a people of the shack, was once a place of great pre-Axumite civilization. Believed to be Ethiopia's first capital, Yeha was first initially discovered in an archaeological excavation around a courtyard complex of 20 C.
     
View from one of the peaks of the mountain environment of Gheralta. In this region of mountains and canyons have been more than thirty churches attractive and unique carved on rock faces or in caves, the largest concentration of the country. It is a little visited area but extremely interesting and beautiful, best exploration base is the town of Hausein. A farmer walks his cattle on the plains to the mountains of Gheralta. At the core of Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, known for its magnificent mountain range, home to magnificent rock churches, some famous for its architecture, paintings and manuscripts and others known for their magnificent view, is the Gheralta Lodge . This territory is known as the open air museum as there are many churches carved into the rock. The scenery is spectacular and increasingly deserted as you go up, besides the visit to the spectacular church Chircos Wukro protruding from a cliff. In Gueralta there are 35 churches nestled in places almost impossible. Portrait of a family of Ethiopians on the stretch of road between Gashena Dilb and leading from Mekele to Lalibela. Lalibela is a town in the heart of Ethiopia which is one of the most important religious centers of Ethiopian Christianity for centuries and is a busy place of pilgrimage. Lalibela lies in her womb an architectural treasure that has been classified by UNESCO as World Heritage: an exceptional set of monolithic cave churches and buildings, carved, not built-in bedrock during the Middle Ages, with the purpose of create a new Jerusalem in Africa.
     
Nun Gheralta mountains. This nun brings atop mountains Gheralta since childhood, living in what brings people to the steepness of the area and can not get down like the priest in the area. To visit any of the nearly 30 churches built between the fourteenth and sixteenth in the rocky walls of the area it is best to spend at least one whole day I rented a car approaching the different temples with a guide. A girl Portea his sister in the village of Yeha, near the ruins of the famous temple. The temple of Yeha, with one side of its walls in ruin, is otherwise still intact and testifies to the advanced level of the people of those times. There is no trace of mortar used to build the temple of the inside of the walls had been believed were paved with gold. Archaeological excavations made ??in 1909, 1947 and 1973 respectively, reveals that this beautiful temple was destroyed by fire. Treasures such as gold rings, golden lions, stone-engraved inscriptions written in Sabean, stone-carved animals like Walya ibex (one of Ethiopia's endemic mammals), pottery works and others were uncovered. Trekking in Gheralta. To access the churches nestled in the rocks found at the top of the mountains of Gheralta need a walk with climbing sections. Some locals, like this child presented to help visitors with a tip that often reach 100 birr. At the top are hiding at least one quarter of the large stone monuments in the region. Between the eighth and fifteenth century, an army of artists, sculptors, architects and excavators created a network of churches settled in inaccessible mountains that are carved into the rock of Gheralta Amba, Amba White and the regions and Agame Tembien.
     
Some of the guests at a birth in the village of Hausein, lack of Gheralta mountains. The parties in these cases are usually numerous and often includes the whole people. The injera and home brew usually present. Basically you eat a dish called injera. It serves in a large plate of about 40-50 cm, usually aluminum, and where a base placed across the surface of 3mm or 5mm in thickness approximately bread-like and very, very fluffy. An elderly couple are dedicated to having it all gleaming in the celebration of a birth in the village of Hausein, lack of Gheralta mountains. The injera is the typical food of Ethiopia and not lacking in any of the celebrations, such as in this celebration of a birth in the village of Hausein, lack of Gheralta mountains. Or Injara Injera is not only a kind of bread that is also an eating utensil. This bread is in its original form without using yeast its texture is spongy, and has a slightly acidic taste the injara is used to collect meat stews, or chicken and vegetables. Two pretty girls Ethiopians.
     
A priest at the door of the church of Abreha Atsbeha, semi carved into the rock. The magnificent church of Abreha wa Atsebha is located 15 km. owest of Wuqro. The church is one of the best and biggest churches in addition to one of the oldest in the Tigray region, dedicated to the famous kings of Axum and brothers and Atsebha Abreha. The church is located in a red rock with a view of the valley and its facade painted white with two blue doors at the height under the arches. The church is decorated with paintings depicting biblical scenes century. A farmer transports the straw that has reaped the road from Wukro to Mekele. Wukro and Wukro Cherkos. Wukro is a mid-size city located between Adigrat and Mekele and convenient as a center from which to explore this rich and fascinating part of Tigray. His church carved into the rock Wukro Cherkos is definitely the most accessible of Tigray and one of the most impressive, although not as monolithic. A farmer sells eggs roadside Hausein market. The image that one can have a dry and barren Ethiopia consumed in the arid, starkly real in many places, falls apart when one moves across the land surrounding rehabilitated channels, which receive water from a canal or who are fortunate enough to have a well.
     
Billiards is something common in almost all Ethiopian peoples so small they may be. In that case it's one of the billiards Hausein village, in the absence of Gheralta mountains. On the road between Mekele Wukro and several people collect water and a chance to bathe in a small roadside creek. Mekele is a leading business and academic centers of the country. It is also the largest producer of cement in Ethiopia. In its margins recently was enabled Alula Aba International Airport, which has a runway length of 3604 meters. There are two major urban landmarks that characterize the city, on the one hand, the monument to the TPLF (People's Liberation Front Tigray) in commemoration of the struggle against the Ethiopian communist regime, visible from most of the city. Ethiopian mothers all day carry their children in this type of carrier. Sometimes the simplest things prove to be the most sophisticated. So I think after watching Mursi women carry their babies. These African, like many other women in the world, taking their children constantly in arms, tied to his body with a cloth as a sling. In this way the babies are part of the daily life of their mothers, in each and every day activities. As you can see in the pictures, not only brought in the fabric that makes carrier, but also take the opportunity to feed them with the breast whenever the baby needs it.
     
A cleric is approaching our vehicle on the road leading from Wukro to Mekele. In Wukro the only sign of progress is a road, usual pace truck freight, military vehicles and buses crammed with passengers, which crosses the city and divides his way to Adigrat Mekele (the two main cities of Tigray). Life goes on either side of this road, where businesses of all kinds are mixed with the few government offices, with the occasional hotel and leisure property and small businesses of all types. The movement of people, at all hours, day and night, is also constant. Rice fields located on the road from Mekele to Lalibela. Mekele or Mek'ele is a city and woreda in northern Ethiopia, is the capital of the Tigray Region and is the most populous country in May. It is located in the woreda Enderta in Debubawi Area, 650 kilometers north of Addis Ababa, the capital. Mekele is a leading business and academic centers of the country. It is also the largest producer of cement in Ethiopia. Several farmers cut sugar canes located on the road leading from Wukro to Mekele. In Wukro, located in the region of Tigray, northern Ethiopia, where more than 35,000 people, who come to 100,000 if you add up the small towns and rural villages. The city offers few attractions for visitors, except for some of the most impressive churches carved into the rock that can be located in the vicinity. Little more, because Wukro the only sign of progress is a road, passing trucks usual goods, military vehicles and buses crammed with passengers, which crosses the city and divides his way to Adigrat Mekele (the two main cities of Tigray).
     
One of the bars located in the village of Gashena, near Lalibela a good place to stop along the way, refuel and eat something. We follow the route on a road with so much dust that when we passed another vehicle can not see anything, up to Debri Zebit where we started a steep descent along the crest of a mountain with spectacular scenery, but also with some no less spectacular cliffs, we finally Gashena and take the left turn to take us to Lalibela. In Gashena village, not far from Lalibela is an atmosphere of absolute daily life, so much so that even playing bingo on the street. Gashena is a very small village where you take the opportunity to see the market, the last truly authentic see by Ethiopia. It is located very close to the road on a large esplanade. This market is very, very local, the products are sold there to satisfy nearby villages but few tourists stop here for a visit and it shows nothing foothold in the market. In Gashena village, near Lalibela can stop along the way to refuel and eat something. People often make life on the street, Chalar and relate in the same way that was done in our country a century ago. Lalibela is a miracle. A village in the highlands of northern Ethiopia has one of the most captivating architectural ensembles in the world: a dozen rock-hewn churches in single blocks under ground level. But the amazing thing is that, although it is hard to imagine the artists of the ancient empire of Aksum, back in the seventh century, tons of volcanic stone chiseling until they sprout monolithic cathedrals in deep trenches.
     
Inside the churches of Lalibela is easy to find people sitting on the floor praying. Everything here breathes faith. A faith hard as stone. Most characteristic of this place are the rock churches carved into the rock of Triassic red sandstone, fine-grained, and are part of the World Heritage since 1978. This is an incredible story of churches and chapels interconnected through a complex series of passages and galleries. Each church is excavated at different levels and with pipes, in order that in the rainy season the water flow and cause flooding. They have tanks and defensive elements. A woman prays inside Bet Medhane Alem church in Lalibela. Bet Medhane Alem or "house of ... Bet Medhane Alem or "House of the Redeemer of the World" is the highest and most extensive of all the churches of Lalibela. Fully carved into the rock, with its 34 meters long by 24 meters wide, is attributed on merit the honor of being the largest monolithic church in the world. Built like a Greek temple is completely surrounded by pillars of square columns. On the stone block is perfectly guess all elements of the temple: The porch, the ships, the vaults and windows and the lavish decoration with reliefs form a unique set. Lalibela. A woman prays inside Bet Medhane Alem church. To admire the churches of Lalibela must not look up, but towards the feet. The largest church is Bet Medhane Alem, the largest of all, with 33 meters long by 25 meters wide and a lavish decor reminiscent of Greek temples. The Emmanuel Beth, a few hundred meters east of the previous one, is one of the most beautiful and carved all that surely served as a royal chapel. Over 700 years ago, an Ethiopian king decided to make their city the "Jerusalem" of the Orthodox Christian world. But instead of lifting large temples in the classical manner, came excavate the rock to enemies who harassed his kingdom not easily locate.
     
Overview of the city of Lalibela. Lalibela is a monastic city of northern Ethiopia, the country's second holy city, after Aksum, is an important pilgrimage center. Its population belongs almost entirely to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is located in the federal state of Amhara, at 2,500 m. According to the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia, its population was 14,668 in 2005, 7049 men and 7619 women. Lalibela, formerly called Roha, was the capital of the dynasty Zague. It received its current name of King Lalibela Gebra Maskal (1172-1212), canonized by the Ethiopian Church, which wanted to build a new city in Jerusalem in response to the conquest of the Holy Land by Muslims. Many of its historic buildings take their name from buildings in that city. Lalibela. Church of St. George. The Church of St. George is the best preserved of all Orthodox temples carved in stone of Lalibela, Ethiopia. This reservoir rock, which has its origins in medieval times, was built as a representation of the Holy Land by Zague Dynasty. Currently, the Temples of Lalibela continue their religious activity and are visited by pilgrims who are confused with curious tourists discover the network of passages between rocks that bind to each other. A child prays in one of the churches of Lalibela. In the twelfth century, Prince Lalibela was built north of the current Ethiopian territory a dozen churches carved in stone. All connected by underground passages that pierce the volcanic rocks of the parched and aisladísima population that bears the name of the monarch, stands as an unexpected and wonderful miracle of Christianity in this unknown corner of the African continent
     
A photograph from a mound man from the side of a hill crowned by an old tree hangs a large bell in the city of Lalibela. Lalibela and its churches carved into the stone are the heart of Ethiopia, one of the great centers pelegrinación and the biggest attraction of the historic route through the country. The city of Lalibela has the most extensive complex of rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia, built during the reign of Lalibela Maskal Gebra and declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1978. King Lalibela, in the twelfth century, wanted to build a new city in the image of Jerusalem, in response to the conquest of the Holy Land by Muslims. Church of St. George in Lalibela. The church of St. George is the main eleven rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a holy city for Christians Ethiopians in northern Ethiopia. These churches are a World Heritage Site according to UNESCO and represent the city of Jerusalem (with its stable of Bethlehem, the door to Paradise ...). Pose the greater pilgrimage center of Ethiopia and legend has it that the construction helped the Angels, who worked at night. If the visit to this set of cave churches, let the end of St. George, you will not regret because the final effect can not be more striking. The scene is biblical. The faces, the drapery, prayers, chants, the fervor, the grandiose setting of bare mountains: one feels projected in the middle of the Old Testament. The faithful thousands are scattered everywhere, some sitting, some kneeling, others lying. A beggar asks for money at the door of one of the churches of Lalibela. The churches of Lalibela were carved into the rock on the 1200s depicting the Holy Land as a response to the capture of Jerusalem by Muslims. Four of the churches are exempt, the others are attached to the bedrock, either a wall or the ceiling. The latter are also amazing, in all, the show is wonderful architecture, a work of ants, namely the 40,000 workers who were responsible for emptying the thousands of cubic meters to expose the churches. Although there are those who believe that such work, by its size and beauty, could only have been created by angels. The churches of Lalibela are divided into two main groups, separated by the channel Yordanos, representing the Jordan River, but linked by tunnels, passages and trenches. The site was designed to correspond to its topography a symbolic representation of the Holy Land. Just cross the threshold of any of the temples, tour the rock-cut passages that connect each other, admire the beauty of their Bibles, liturgical chants hear the rhythmic back in time to be the day that is the year.
     
A girl selling crafts at the entrance of the monastery of Nakuto Lab In Lalibela, visit the second group and also dug a small church in the mountains, the monastery Nakuto Lab, which is about 6 km from the town and I think is the most beautiful and peaceful I've ever been. If you have money please go-coaches charge about $ 40 to take them by car and the entrance to the church is 100 birr. Can walk if you want, but the route is uphill and remember that back then still have the people ... One of the reasons why you left, is that a German tourist traveling alone also invited me to go with her, but maybe never been discovered. There is also another church further from Lalibela to which many people will not but that probably deserves a visit, Yemrehanna Krestos. A carpet weaver develop typical Ethiopian town of Lalibela. It is difficult to find an Ethiopian pilgrimage to Lalibela has not, or at least, that does not reflect on his face mixed feelings of joy, pride and devotion when someone mentions the name of the most sacred place in Ethiopia. It is also difficult to find somewhere else to the depth of faith is so evident as in this ancient capital, where are some of the most extraordinary churches that the world has known. I refer to the numerous temples carved into the rock, which, taken together, are now part of the great World Heritage Site. Several women come to pray to the monastery of Nakuto Lab nephew of King Lalibela, Na'akueto La'ab (also writes Nakuto Lab) reigned in Ethiopia at the beginning of the century and was XIIIe one of the last rulers of the dynasty Zagoué. Legend has it that read about spades elongated. As King Lalibela, troglodyte built a church, the church of Nakuto Lab, located 4 km from the town of Lalibela in a spectacular setting, nestled on a cliff. The finances of the church still preserves the enluminés remarquablement manuscripts, icons and beautiful crosses in money of the day.
     
Some women pray in the Lab Nakuto monastery, outside Lalibela. The mysterious underground churches, a monolithic monuments of stone extracted in Lalibela, have been used continuously by the Orthodox priests from the XII and XII, when this remote mountain town was still the capital of the dynasty Zagwe important. The purpose of every church has eluded the work of modern historians: each building is unique in its size, shape and execution, are carved on the stone accurately (some say thousands of workers) and some of them lavishly decorated. The priest of the church of Nakuto Lab, outside Lalibela shows his cross. It is unknown why were excavated soil or built, high construction of the building difficulty and increased costs. Shuffle several theories, one of the most accepted is that were raised during the height of Christian pilgrimage, with Jerusalem as the center axis or principal thereof, along the way, pilgrims faced many dangers and churches were exposed to vandalism and looting, perhaps this is the reason why the king decided to bury Lalibela churches, protecting them from possible looting. A woman kisses cuz of a priest in the Church of Nakuto Lab, outside Lalibela. At 2400 meters altitude in the Ethiopian highlands, north of Addis Ababa, this small town is monastic (Ethiopia's second city considered holy), known in ancient times as Roha and changed his name after being conquered in the XIII century by King Lalibela Maskal Gebra, who "baptized" as Lalibela. It was, by order of the king, when he began the construction of these unique churches, unique because they are dug in the earth, a fact that makes them unique and they deserved in 1979, recognition as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
     
A woman Portea your child in Lalibela market. Lalibela not have many other attractions besides the churches. Although you should make a visit to the local market for shopping and good memories of the place before leaving. You can also visit the park of donkeys, which has beautiful views of the city. If you want to explore the area more deeply, you can trek around Lalibela, in the beautiful mountainous region surrounded by Ethiopian interesting fauna. Some girls dancing near the monastery of Nakuto Lab, outside Lalibela to earn some tip with tourists. In Lalibela there are eleven churches carved in stone, to 2,700 m. above sea level and about 700 km. of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. They have been dated between the XII - XIII and referred to as "the Black Jerusalem." It is attributed to King Lalibela (XIII century) who was later canonized by the Ethiopian church and has been regarded by Europeans as the famous Prester John. The impact caused the first churches that look is so great that the first European that saw the Portuguese priest Francisco Alvarez, eliminated him why your chronic thought no one would believe. A man sells prickly pears Lalibela market. North of Ethiopia we find the former and current Roha Lalibela. This holy city is notable for its rock-hewn churches that were built in the eleventh century low Zegüe domain Dynasty. It was King Lalibela Gebra Maskal who came to this barren place but full of reddish basalt rock in the excavation. The Libela churches are divided into two completely separate groups thanks to the Jordan River which separates them, but these churches are linked by walkways and tunnels that pilgrims used during your visit.
     
In Lalibela market can get anything, animals, clothing, food, etc.. In a place apart, an outdoor market, chaotic, full of bustle and large, concentrated activity of people. Cattle, cloth, pots, ornaments, tailors, vegetables, fruits, plastic containers ... mixing between the coming and going of those who buy, chat or watch. The city revolves largely around religious activity and also lives of strangers attracted to it. Numerous little shops of souvenirs and handicrafts tempt visitors with a similar offer in all crosses, imitations of old books, copies of icons, necklaces and bracelets, woodcarvings small ... Lalibela. Coffee ceremony. One of the greatest pleasures of Ethiopia's coffee. The ceremony is a rite as the Japanese tea. The ceremony is complicated and I can tell you is that you start roasting coffee beans, then ground in a wooden mortar and then put in the hot water and it's done the cafe. On the table is placed incense, sugar, and coffee cups and you can not even imagine how rich he is, nothing to do with what we in the cafes of Europe for much espresso whatever. A woman washes in the courtyard of his house in the outskirts of Lalibela. After the fall of the kingdom of Axum in the twelfth century, the kings of the dynasty Zagwe moved to Lalibela, Axum on Southeast. Here built a thriving and populous capital of medieval dynasties. Lalibela, was formerly known as Roha until the late twelfth century, then changed the name in honor of King Lalibela. The city was founded as the New Jerusalem were hard times for Christians and pilgrimages to Jerusalem real, very dangerous, so the idea of building a city of worship and pilgrimage in African territory.
     
Portrait of a teenager near the airport in Bahir Dar. From Bahir Dar port can be accessed by boat to several historic churches and monasteries located on the lake, in its various islands. Most of them dating from the XVII century and is characterized by polychromatic richness of its walls, some of these churches have museums illuminated manuscripts, crowns and royal robes and ecclesiastical. Even today, some of these islands monasteries are forbidden to women, but others can be visited by both sexes. Furthermore, since the city depart tourist services to Niagara Blue Nile (Abay River), located about 30 km south of the city, and constitute one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Interior of the car on the way from Bahir Dar and Blue Nile Falls. The earliest historical records we have of this area date from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, Jesuit missionaries settlement on the banks of Lake Tana. Even today it remains a building of this period near the central square, which is associated with Pedro Páez, Spanish Jesuit missionary sent to Ethiopia in 1589. During the Italian invasion of 1935-1936, an Italian military column mobilized from Gondar occupied the city on April 23, 1937. During World War II, between 21 and 22 October 1940 the city was bombed by the Royal Air Force, and although the action did little damage served as impetus for the Ethiopian resistance. Portrait of an Ethiopian in the path between Bahir Dar and Blue Nile Falls. Bahir Dar offers a small daily market and weekly one larger. How much further with some hotels built around the lake, and various music clubs. In turn, is home to Bahir Dar University, founded in 2000 on the basis of former Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1963. Currently Bahir Dar University has four faculties: Education, Engineering, Economics and Business and Law.
     
A farmer sells mangoes just collect on the road to Mekele Wukro. For most of the population of Wukro and surrounding areas, rainfed agriculture is their main subsistence livelihood. However, Wukro and surroundings often suffer droughts that have serious consequences for the living conditions of the rural population. The migration from rural to urban areas during these periods is high. Recently, Wukro is rapidly expanding into the southwest part of the city which is evident in the various residential construction being carried out inside and outside the city. The town of Gondar is situated 400 km north Addis Ababa, and was the capital of Ethiopia between 1632 and 1855. Great center of culture and learning, the city has retained many vestiges of its imperial past. Discover Fasilidas baths in which believers are baptized, Selassie church and its frescoes and the ruins of castles and palaces of breathtaking beauty, the result of crossbreeding European architectural and native An old Fiat walking the streets of Addis Ababa (Addis Ababa). The largest city in Ethiopia with a population of 3,384,569 inhabitants, according to the census of 2008.2 It is also the capital of the African Union and its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity Designated Africana.3 city and state while according to Ethiopian territorial organization in Addis Ababa is home to more than 80 nationalities and languages??, besides Christians, Muslims and Jews. In it lies the University of Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa is located at an altitude of 2300 meters and is a prairie grassland. It is located at the foot of Mount Entoto.
     
The National Museum is home to Lucy (Dinqnesh), probably the most famous skeleton of a hominid in the world. Found in 1974 in Hadar, on the banks of the Awash, was named Australopithecus Afariensis, has more than three million years, the oldest hominid found to date. The museum also has an interesting collection of archaeological artifacts and history of Ethiopia, as well as objects of art and culture. The National Museum The National Museum is home to Lucy (Dinqnesh), probably the most famous skeleton of a hominid in the world. Found in 1974 at Hadar in the banks of the Awash, was named Australopithecus Afariensis, has more than three million years, the oldest hominid found to date. The museum also has an interesting collection of archaeological artifacts and history of Ethiopia, as well as objects of art and culture. The National Museum of Ethiopia. Representation in wax recent leaders of the country. The National Museum is home to Lucy (Dinqnesh), probably the most famous skeleton of a hominid in the world. Found in 1974 at Hadar in the banks of the Awash, was named Australopithecus Afariensis, has more than three million years, the oldest hominid found to date. The museum also has an interesting collection of archaeological artifacts and history of Ethiopia, as well as objects of art and culture.  
  Ethiopia photographs of North route