Addis Abeba

1,127,127 km²
(276x the Netherlands)

UTC +3

Amharic, Semitic en Kuschitic, English, Italian and French

Ras Dashen - 4,620 m

The colors of the flag exist since 1897 during the time of Emperor Menelik who reigned from 1889 to 1913. Emperor Haile Selassie, who reigned until 1974, added the lion of Judah, During the reign of the Marxist DERG the lion was removed again. The current flag     contains an emblem which is not acknowledged by many. Green represents the country, yellow represents peace and hope, red represents strength.     The blue in the emblem represents peace, the star represents unity and diversity and the sun's rays represent prosperity.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Talari and blocks of salt were the currency in Ethiopia. The Talari (1893) was known locally as the Birr. During the Italian occupation from 1936 to 1941, the Lira became the currency. The East African Shilling was used until the end of World War II which was replaced by the Birr, officially marked in all languages as Birr in 1976. Depicted on the banknote is a weaver, weaving a basket.

The south of Ethiopia is tribal area with names like the Dorze, Konso, Galeb, Mursi, Karo, Arbore, Hamer and Dassanech. It takes a long drive in 4x4 off-road vehicles to visit them. When visiting you have to pay an amount per vehicle and there will be an extra for photos of people. If you take a picture of more than one person, you will have to pay them all. This only costs a few birr. To visit the poorest tribe, the Dassanech, you cross the Omo River in a hollowed-out tree trunk.

Gondar is a royal city that was founded in 1635 by Emperor Fasilades. Five successive emperors also built their castles in this city. The castle grounds are in the center of Gondar. Nearby is the bath of Fasilades where the surrounding walls are overgrown with tree roots. Every year in january, the baths are filled for the Timkat festival with water from a river, 500 km away. The filling takes one month. The Timkat ceremony is a modern version of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan and is seen as an important renewal of faith. After the blessing by a priest, hundreds of people jump into the water. Another highlight is the Debre Berhan Selassie church with beautiful murals. The church is surrounded by a wall with 12 towers to represent the 12 apostles.

There are a surpising lot of animals in Ethiopia. Special to Ethiopia are the Gelada baboons, an endemic species that occurs in large numbers in the Simien mountain range. They are not shy and you can approach very closely. Hippo's are found where the Blue Nile starts its long journey at Lake Tana and at Lake Chamo in the south where you also find lots of crocodiles, sunbathing on the banks. For bird watchers, Ethiopia is a paradise with over 860 species.

The rock-cut churches of Lalibela are the most visited in Ethiopia. Lalibela is located at an altitude of 2,630 meters and is the most sacred city ??and place of pilgrimage after Axum. The Zagwe dynasty ruled here from 1137 to 1270. Gebre Mesquel Lalibela had 11 churches carved from the rocks. They are connected by corridors and tunnels. The churches, with the exception of Bet Abba Libanos, are standing free from the surrounding rocks. To protect the churches from the elements Unesco built ugly canopies over most of the churches. The most beautiful in terms of location is the 15 meters high Bet Giyorgis which has the shape of a cross. In the niches around the church sometimes lie mummified bodies. Another jewel is the Bet Gabriel Rufael which can be reached via a bridge over a deep canal. A spectacular sight but the church is more beautiful on the outside than on the inside. Timkat takes place in the third week of January. It starts in the afternoon and ends the next day. A beautiful experience at the location of the churches of Lalibela but the location in Gondar, the bath of Fasilades, is also a consideration.

Overview of the rockhewn churches

Bet Giyorgis