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Ethiopia
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Ethiopia a Tourist Paradise
Ethiopia is truly a land of contrasts and extremes; a
land of remote and wild places. Some of the highest and most
stunning places on the African continent are found here, such as the
jaggedly carved Simien Mountains, one of UNESCO's World Heritage
Sites - and some of the lowest, such as the hot but fascinating
Danakil Depression, with its sulphur fumaroles and lunar-like
landscape. Ethiopia is old; old beyond all imaginations. As
Abyssinia, its culture and traditions date back over 3,000 years.
And far earlier than that lived "Lucy" or Dinkenesh, meaning 'thou
art wonderful', as she is known to the Ethiopians, whose remains
were found in a corner of this country of mystery and contrasts. Ethiopia, an old country beyond all imaginations, has culture and traditions dating back over 3000 years. With over 80 different Ethnic groups with their own language, culture and traditions. The strong religious setting, celebrations and festivals play an important part in every ones daily life. Church ceremonies are a major feature of Ethiopian life. The events are impressive and unique. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has its own head, follows its own customs, and is extremely proud of its fourth century origins. Ethiopia's Islamic tradition is also strong and offers colorful contrast, particularly in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the country. In fact, there were Ethiopian Muslims during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammed. This rich religious history is brought to life in the romantic walled city of Harar, considered by many Muslims to be the fourth "Holy City" following Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.
Ethiopia is a land of natural contrasts, from the
tops of the rugged Simien Mountains to the depths of the Danakil
Depression, at 120 meters below sea level one of the lowest dry
land points on earth. The cornucopia of natural beauty that
blesses Ethiopia offers an astonishing variety of landscapes:
Afro-Alpine highlands soaring to around 4,300 metres, moors and
mountains, the splendor of the Great Rift Valley, white-water
rivers, Savannah teeming with game, giant waterfalls, dense and
lush jungle... the list is endless.
Ethiopia's many national parks enable the visitor to enjoy the country's scenery and its wildlife, conserved in natural habitats, and offer opportunities for travel adventure unparalleled in Africa. The wildlife consists mainly of East African plains animals, but there are now no giraffe or buffalo. Oryx, bat-eared fox, caracal, aardvark, colobus and green monkeys, Anubis and Hamadryas baboons, klipspringer, leopard, bushbuck, hippopotamus, Soemmerings gazelle, cheetah, lion, kudu and 450 species of bird all live within the park's 720 square kilometres.
Ethiopia has a proud and long
history extending to the known beginnings of humankind. The
Axumite Kingdom was one of the great civilizations of the
ancient world and has left behind the mystery of the great
Stellae found at Axum. In the late middle Ages great religious
civilizations flourished in many parts of the country,
particularly at Lalibela where churches hewn out of massive
monolithic rock testify not only to great faith but also to
great architectural skills.
An in the former capital of Gondar many significant castles speak of the same legacy. All these would be enough to make Ethiopia a fascinating place to visit and travel through, but Ethiopia has so much more to offer. ADDIS ABABA With a population of more than two million people, Addis Ababa is not only the political capital but also the economic and social nerve-center of Ethiopia. Founded by Emperor Menelik in 1887, this big, sprawling, hospitable city still bears the stamp of his exuberant personality. More than 21,000 hectares in area, Addis Ababa is situated in the foothills of the 3,000 meters Entoto Mountains and rambles pleasantly across many wooded hillsides and gullies cut through with fast flowing streams. Like any other capital in the world, there is more than enough for anybody to do in Addis. There are numerous restaurants offering various exotic dishes. Addis Ababa is as cosmopolitan as any of the world's great metropolises, and the architecture is as varied as the city itself. Tall office buildings, elegant villas, functional bungalows, flat, fashionable hotels, conference halls, and theaters - gleaming in their marble and anodized aluminum - vie for attention alongside traditional homes of wattle and daub, surrounded by cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens. There is no designated 'city centre' because, until very recently, there was no urban planning. Addis Ababa simply grew in a natural, organic way, and its present appearance reflects this unforced and unstructured evolution.
EQUUS ETHIOPIA RIDING HIGH IN THE
HIGHLANDS
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Editor's
Comments: A section of the Ethiopia Story from
the May 2007 edition of Africa Travel Magazine
appears below. A new. expanded version is being
written, following Muguette Goufrani's visit to
Southern Ethiopia and the Omo River Country. with
her media colleagues Ogo Sow, Mary Ellen Schultz
and Sylvia Mracky, all from the USA. Muguette and
friends traveled from Addis Ababa to an area close
to the Kenya border on a 6-day excursion. A gallery
of photos from this outstanding cultural experience
will appear in this section soon and will be an
integral part of the Ethiopian Millennium Edition
in fall 2007. The tribal photos (below)and many
others are available courtesy of 
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