The Historic North
Ethiopia
Northern Ethiopia is a treasure trove of historical capitals where religious customs from the Middle Ages continue to thrive in the Queen of Sheba's Axum, Lalibela with its 13th century rock-hewn churches, and Gondar, capital in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Axum was the first city in Ethiopia to receive Christianity, in the 4th century, and is believed by many to be the last resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.
Elsewhere, the eleven ancient subterranean churches at Lalibela are a must see, and host some of the country’s most sacred ceremonies. Gondar, with its medieval castles, is still a centre of culture and learning.
In this area too is Lake Tana, whose island monasteries have existed for hundreds of years. The lake is the source of the Blue Nile, which curls its way over the nearby Tissisat Falls and all the way through to the White Nile at Khartoum.
Finally, we can arrange treks into the Simien Mountains, nicknamed ‘God's chess set’ after their weather eroded shapes, to explore the habitat of the gelada baboon.
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