Visit 2 Ethiopia 2011 summer

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Wonderful country, Great People, Incredible Culture..!

2 VISIT 2 ETHIOPIA MAGAZINE

Coming soon by Visit 2 Ethiopia

Visit 2 Ethiopia Tourism Marketing & Promotion

Tel: 0921 77 95 93 / 0911 14 49 64 / 0911 30 89 11

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

www.visit2ethiopia.com

3JUILLET 2011

Dear Readers,

As always, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to Visit 2 Ethiopia Tourism Magazine.

When it comes to the tourism resources in Africa, the continent is known especially for its natural beauty, safari,

and game reserves. This continent from north to south and west to east accommodates indigenous and wonderful cultural practices. Particularly, countries like Ethiopia, which posses’ long records of ancient civilization history (like Axum, Lalibela, the Castle city of Gondar…) to name few, the only sub-Saharan African country not to have been colonized. Ethiopians have their own language and script, in addition to that, the only African country to have a liturgical language called Ge’ez. It remains only as the main liturgy language used in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which is one of the oldest Christian institution and half the country belongs to this church. Ethiopians are also among the first followers of Islamic religion in the world. Until the 1970s they had their own emperor and Ethiopians also have a 13-month calendar that begins on September. They will celebrate their new year of 2004 in two months time. Over 80 ethnics group with their own language and culture live in harmony. That makes Ethiopia the “living museum of people”.

This country has a lot in common at the same time many differences with the eastern Africa countries. However, in this edition we brought to you one of the major ethnics group in terms of population and the largest region of the country, the Oromiya Regional State. The Oromos have their “Thanksgiving Day” celebration called “Irrecha”. This festival is one of the most important cultural events in the country. The Irrecha celebration also marks the Gadas’ rites of passage ceremony. The Gada is traditional system of governance or the Gada System. It is an indigenous system of government where leaders are elected to the position of authority through the will and active participation of the people they represent for eight years. Besides the cultural assets, the large and endemic varieties of fauna and bird species of the Awash and the Bale Mountains National Park, the Rift-Valley lakes of the region are places where sports, sunbathing and bird watching tours could be accomplished. The palace of Aba Jifar in Jimma is from the historical attraction with the natural cave of Sof Omar and the breathtaking landscapes make Oromiya a perfect tourist destination.

We have included in this edition for the adventure lovers, the driest and lowest land on earth (120m below sea level), the Dallol (Afar) Depression, which is found in the Afar Regional State in the north-eastern part of the country. One of the world most extraordinary volcanoes and hydrothermal fields found here too. This region is known for its curious geological formations and archaeological discoveries like Ardi, (ardipithecus ramidus); Gona, site of the world’s oldest stone tools; and Hadar, site of Lucy, the fossilized specimen of Australopithecus afarensis. Adventure tour lovers must visit at least once in their lifetime. While you

are planning to make a tour in the Afar region, it is highly recommended to consider local tour operators as they are accustomed to the region.

Nowadays, the Nations’ and Nationalities’ Day celebration become a tourist attraction event, as one can witness the country is really a mosaic of people and culture. This year the celebration will be taken place at Mekalle, the capital city of the Tigray Regional State. If you dreamt of visiting all the Omo Valley ethnics and yet you didn’t have time, well first week of December would be the right period to be at Mekalle for the entire 81 ethnics group of Ethiopia in two days with their cultural and traditional display, music and street parades are the part of the event. This event is being celebrated for the fourth times in the country. It is worth coming.

Though, it is too early to talk about the green tourism in Ethiopia, there is huge potential in the southern and south west part of the country. For that, the Gedeo Zone, which is a part of the SNNPRs, took the initiative to develop Coffee Tourism and Green Tourism to Ethiopia starting from this year. It is really a big step and merit encouragement. Ecotourism has not been given due attention in the past, such a new concept requires every stakeholder support for its development.

To discover the country better and cost effectively, local tour operators are ready to help you out. See our recommended tour operators list in our website www.visti2ethiopia.com

Special thanks for the Min. of Culture and Tourism for unreserved assistance, support and for being Diamond Sponsor in this edition.

As always Ethiopian Airlines has been the ambassador of the Ethiopia’s tourism and supporter, we are very much honored for having Ethiopian Airlines on our side. Besides, ET has published special air fares discount for all tourists departing from Europe to Ethiopia in conjunction with international ticket for the domestic flights. Log on www.ethiopianairlines.com for more information.

Big thank you goes to the Oromiya Regional State for being Diamond sponsor and immense contribution in promoting the region. Gondar City Administration, Tigray Tourism Bureau and the Gedeo Zone Administration, we thank you all very much for your cooperation in making of this edition.

The last but not the least, many thanks and grateful for all our contributors and supporters to make it happen. To all Visit 2 Ethiopia staffs in Europe and in Addis, thank you so much.

As usual, we have tried to inspire you in making your next destination Ethiopia, a land of beyond all your imaginations. Happy to see you in Ethiopia and once again be welcome!

Happy Ethiopian New Year 2004 to all!

Tewodros Merawi

Director/ Editor-in-chief

Letter from the editor Coming soon by Visit 2 Ethiopia

3. Editorial

4. Contents

6. Discover Oromiya

21. Addis Ababa “Flor Nueva”

22. Mekalle in Colours

24. Gondar, La Camelot de Etiopia

27. Yeha

28. Dalol l’Enfer Sur Terre

32. Festivals

35. Bezoek Addis Ababa en Arba Minch

36. Green Gedeo

38. Ethiopia in Brief

Ngezahayo Patrick

Photos Contributors:Hassan AbdulwaseTeddyMin. of Culture and TourismFlicker

Concept and Directing:Tewodros Merawi


“Besides the large and endemic varieties of fau-na and bird species of the Awash and the Bale Mountains National Park, the Rift-Valley lakes of the region are places where sports, sunbath-ing and bird watching tours could be accom-plished. The hot springs in Walliso and Sodere (about 114 km south west and east of the capital respectively) are popular attraction sites for their medicinal and recreational value.

Sof Omar caves in central Bale, with their gal-leries of polished white cone and chamber of columns are the incredible natural phenomena of great interest and beauty. The palace of Aba Jifar in Jimma is another historical attraction. Like; Irrecha celebration «Oromo’s Thanksgiv-ing Day » is one of the majors cultural events in the country together with, topographical spec-tacles of the region added up to make Oromiya a perfect tourist destination »

IRRECHA,

Oromo’s Thanksgiving Day

“Irrecha, perhaps is one of the largest open-air Thanks-giving Day in the African continent. Over 2.5 million people from different parts of Oromiya converged to attend the ceremony, as well a good number of tour-ists from other countries have already arrived to join the millions.” It is one of the major traditional Oromo festivities observed annually with colors and great splendor at the end of the rainy season in last week of September or first Sunday of October at Lake Hora Arsadi in Bishoftu, 45km southeast of the capital.

Discover Oromiya

IRRECHA,

7JUILLET 2011

The festival is a thanksgiving ceremony to Waqa (Su-preme Being or Creator) for the end of the rainy sea-son and the dawning of birra (spring).

The other purpose of Irrecha is to thank Waqa for the beautiful weather and to beg it to last until the prom-ised crops ripen to sustain life, for children to grow, for the sick to heal, for justice and fraternity to prevail among human beings. Since back in the days, green vegetation, livestock and water mean a lot to the lives and culture of the Oromo and are accorded due re-spect.

The Oromo people from the time of immemorial had recognized Waaqa as the only supreme reality, the creator of everything. They could be one of among the earliest peoples of the world to develop the doc-trine of monotheism. Waaqeffannaa is Oromo tradi-tional religion and manifested by Oromummaa as part of the cultural domain of the Gadaa Oromo Society. Since the emergence of Waaqeffannaa as public reli-gious affairs, the Oromos have been organizing the Irreecha ceremony near a water body, such as lake, spring or stream every year.

The Irrecha ceremony is conducted by offering thanks and greeneries to Waaqa, who helped them pass through the ‹dark› rainy winter season to the bright sunny season which begins to shine in the month of Birraa (September), the time crops and plants are fur-nishing colorful flowers.

The Irrecha celebration also marks the Gadas’ rites of passage ceremony. Traditionally the Oromos had five Gada (grades) or parties. The names of these grades varied from place to place. These grades were commonly called Dabalee (ages one to eight), Rogge (ages eight to sixteen), Follee (ages sixteen to twenty-four), Qondaala (ages twenty-four to thirty-two), and Dorri (ages thirty-two to forty).

There were rites of passages when males passed from one Gada to another. These rites of passages were called Irrecha or Buuta. The political philosophy of the Gada system was embodied in three main prin-ciples: an eight-year term of leaders; a balanced op-position between parties; and power sharing between higher and lower levels. These checks and balances were created to prevent misuse of power.


Political leaders were elected by the men of the com-munity every eight years. Corrupt or dictatorial lead-ers would be removed from power through Buqisu (recall) before the official end of their term. Similarly, Oromo women had a parallel institution known as Siqqee. This institution promoted gender equality in Oromo society.

Oromo history scholars argue that Gada closely con-nects the social and political structures. Male Oromos were organized according to age and generation for both social and political activities. The Gada govern-ment was based on democratic principles. The Abba Boku was an elected «chairman» who presided over the Chaffee (assembly) and proclaimed the laws. A council known as Shanee or Salgee and retired Gada officials also helped the Abba Boku to run the gov-ernment.

Although most Oromo’s celebrate Irrecha in their localities, the main event takes place in Bishoftu town, Oromia. Like always, last year Irreecha cer-emony was colorfully celebrated near Hora-Arsadii, one of the seventh lakes of Bishoftu on October the 2nd. In spite of the transportation problems confront-ing them, Oromo’s from far and near kept on pouring into the area.

The Irreecha festival remains the only occasion that bring all Oromo’s together. The number of people who attended the ceremony is estimated to over 2.5 millions. It was a day of joyous, celebration and a day of pride. The shores of the Hora-Arsadii Lake were covered with green grasses and spring flowers with their sweet smell. The traditional costumes from dif-ferent parts of Oromiya, made it more attractive and ceremonial reflecting the beauty and richness of Oro-mo’s culture. Traditional Irreecha songs were sung and the elders blessed every one from young to old all day according to Oromo festive custom. They cel-ebrated and gave thanks to Waaqa who created them as peace-loving people of Ethiopia.

Oromia Culture and Tourism Bureau, Bishoftu town administration, the festival organizing committee and non-government organiza-tions together with some voluntary fami-lies host thousands of foreign and local guests in tent camps where big bonfires are lit to keep festival attendants warm as they spend the night singing and dancing around the campfire in the open air. Thousands of men and wom-en come there to fulfill their vows and conduct special sacrifices to the su-perpower they believe in.

Good number of hotels and re-sorts like the Kuriftu, Babou-gaya, and Ethio Re-sorts come with all the facili-ties of inter-na t iona l s t a n -dards and

ap-peal.

11JUILLET 2011

As the Bishoftu town is at a near distance from Finfine (Addis Ababa), tourists could stay over in the capital and come early in the morning to the festive place.

The town rests on an area of 140sqm, according to Taddesse Lema, the hum-ble intellectual working as an expert in the Bishoftu Cultural and Tourism Ar-chaeological and Tourist Attraction Re-search Centre. The town has a very high potential of developing at an accelerated pace into the “Garden City of Africa” given its temperate climate, the panoramic

scenery surrounded by the seven beautiful lakes, the Lemma Guya Africa Museum, the Abebetch Herbal Medical Centre, as well as the ring roads that are under construc-tion. The railway rehabilitation project

and the linkage with the new Addis Abeba and Adama fast track road

are new factors that could boost the growth of Bishoftu, as reported by The Reporter.

Saturday, the day before the celebration, the hustle and bustle in the town is more ap-parent than in normal days. Bishoftu is one of the towns which heavy trucks pass through en route from and to the busy highway connecting

Ethiopia to Djibouti. Other mo-torists pass through for business and vacation. Usually, vehicles of the town as well as those touring around and pedestrians also congest the town’s roads.

However, on Irrecha eve the traffic was more con-gested than ever before. Most of the people who came from nearby towns and villages for the eve festivity made the day colorful with traditional singing and dancing. Some well-to-do families from far places made reservations at the various lodges as early as possible. In the afternoon the administration of the town has opened an exhibition in which Oromo cul-tural materials and other household furniture were displayed accompanied by musical entertainment.

During the early hours of evening, the horserace at the open field of Babougaya was attended with about 1,000 horses participating in the race as part of the eve celebration. The town’s administration organized a musical concert at Novel Hotel featuring Birra Band, which went on from 8 PM to 11 PM.

Sunday’s mass departure for the ritual People from far started their journey in the wee hours of the morning while those from nearby started off at about 6:00am. A group of elders’ recited words of thanksgiving to Waqa as they walked slowly down to the shore of Hora while youngsters song and danced from behind them. There was no moment to be missed by journalists and tourists as they jostled to capture the scene on camera and video, and to interview the partakers.

Irrecha Eve

www.oromiyaa.com

“The festivity is quite moving and someone can imagine the modern way of thanksgiv-ing to the Creator relating its origin to Ir-recha,” a Chester Higgins, an American who is writing a book on the festivity and other related issues, told The Reporter.

Cultural artifacts, costumes depicting Oromo’s heritage and a variety of traditional cuisines were on display at Hora Lake. Some people en-joyed surfing on the lake and a musical concert entertained others at the gate of the area on Hora Arsadi Lake where Irrecha was celebrated.

Bishoftu, which has seven lakes, is developing at a rapid pace into the “Garden City of Africa”. Its pleasant temperature, which ranges from a minimum of 16 degree centigrade to a maximum of 24 degree centigrade, makes it the top location for resorts like the Kuriftu, Babougaya and Ethio Resorts, which come with all the amenities of a modern entertainment facility. The town is fabulous for weekend excursion, bird watching and boat ride.

La fête d’Irracha « Plus de 2 millions personnes étaient rassemblées dimanche le 3 Octobre pour la célébration de Irrechaa »

Acclamée par la foule réunie en rangs serrés, la procession des dignitaires de la principale ethnie éthiopienne Oromo, couverts de peaux de lions, de velours colorés et de coiffes traditionnelles, descend vers le Lac Hora avant d›y faire des in-cantations.

Ce festival traditionnel se déroule chaque année le premier dimanche d›octobre à une cinquan-taine de km de la capitale éthiopienne, Addis Abeba, dans la localité de Debre Zeyit, connue aussi sous le nom de Bishoftu ce qui signifie «terre entourée par l›eau», à cause des nombreux lacs volcaniques de la région.

Les chefs plongent leur chasse-mouche en crin de cheval dans l›eau limoneuse et aspergent la foule, surtout les plus jeunes enfants. Ils tournent ensuite autour d›un très vieil arbre sur lequel des femmes étalent du beurre tandis que d›autres sont assises sur des herbes odorantes fraîchement coupées et adressent des prières vers les branches tordues.

«Cette tradition, Irrecha, fait partie de la culture du peuple Oromo. Bien avant les Chrétiens ou les Musulmans, les Oromos avaient leurs propres pratiques et religion», explique, un jeune Oromo qui participe à la fête.

«Ils remercient Dieu pour la beauté des lieux, l›eau est considérée comme miraculeuse et ap-porte la prospérité. Aujourd›hui tout le monde vient encore ici, chrétien ou musulman, et bien sûr ceux qui sont restés animistes», précise-t-il fièrement.

Plus de 2 millions personnes étaient rassemblées dimanche pour la célébration de ces festivités Oromo - ethnie qui compte plus de 27 millions d›habitants soit plus d›un tiers des 80 millions d›Ethiopiens- et pour honorer les croyances an-cestrales dans la puissance de la nature.

Les Oromos ont mis leurs plus beaux habits tra-ditionnels, de coton blanc sur lequel tranchent des bandes de couleurs vives. Certains avancent montés sur de petits chevaux au milieu d›une foule innombrable qui soulève un épais nuage de poussière.

Une fois arrivés sur le lac Hora, chacun dépose des bouquets de petites fleurs jaunes et des herbes grasses sur l›eau avec lesquels ils s›aspergent. Ensuite viennent les danses et les conciliabules car le jour d›Irrecha, toutes les réconciliations sont possibles entre les Oromos.

«Ce jour et les cérémonies ici autour du lac sont très importants pour nous les Oromos. Les gens viennent de toutes les régions Oromo, parfois de très loin pour participer aux célébrations», affirme ce bon homme, installé sous les arbres où dansent des jeunes gens.

Dans la tradition, l›Irrecha est aussi l›occasion des transferts de pouvoir entre les chefs: «les Aba Gaada sont les chefs du peuple Oromo, comme des rois, mais ils ne peuvent rester au pouvoir que huit ans, ensuite pacifiquement ils passent le pouvoir à d›autres choisis démocratiquement par la communauté», raconte-t- il.

Les festivités d›Irrecha marquent également la fin de la saison des pluies en Ethiopie et l›espérance de récoltes abondantes, d›où les offrandes aux arbres et au lac, symboles vivants du Dieu unique adoré par les Oromos avant les grandes religions du Livre.

Vous êtes invitez pour la fête. Venez le deux Oc-tobre 2011 à Bishoftu, Oromiya.

http://www.oromiyaa.com

Your Partner for Your Success

www.visit2ethiopia.com

Vergeleken met de overbezochte parken van Kenia en Tanzania is Bale Mountains National Park (nabij Goba) een onontdekte parel. Het dorp Dinsho is de uitvalsbasis voor dit natuurgebied, bereikbaar per bus vanuit Addis Abeba (meer dan 12 uur) of Shashamene (8 uur). In Dinsho staat een fraaie lodge, daterend uit de Haile Selassie-periode. Alle voorbereidingen voor lange wan-deltochten kun je ter plekke regelen.

Zijn in veel andere nationale parken in Afrika de oorspronkelijke bewon-ers uit het gebied verwijderd, in Bale zwerven de Oromo-herders met hun rundvee nog steeds vrij over de berg-plateaus. Ogenschijnlijk lijkt dat in een harmonie met de wildstand te gaan. De Ethiopische wolven, één van de meest bedreigde roofdiersoorten op aarde, trekken als een soort zelfbeno-emde herdershonden met de kuddes mee, aangezien het vee hun een goede dekmantel verschaft bij de jacht op rat-ten en andere knaagdieren. Bedreigin-gen zijn er echter ook: de honden van de Oromo verspreiden hondsdolheid onder de wolven en meer Oromo be-ginnen permanente nederzettingen in het park te bouwen. Hoe lang de sym-biose tussen mens en wild hier stand zal houden, is dus de vraag. Voorlopig blijft Bale op dit punt een positieve uit-zondering onder de wildreservaten.

Van de vijfhonderd overgebleven Ethi-opische wolven leeft ruim de helft in Bale. Ander opmerkelijk wild vormen de bergnyala’s, een soort grote anti-lope, die tamelijk weinig angst voor de mens lijken te kennen en die je te voet van nabij kunt benaderen. Op langere wandeltochten tref je klipspringers, bosbokken en de al even bijzondere Menelik-bosbok. De wolf, de bergnyala en de Menelik-bosbok zijn endemisch in Ethiopië, hetgeen betekent dat ze nergens anders ter wereld voorkomen.

Bale Mountains zit eigenlijk dringend verlegen om toeristen. Het parkper-soneel zelf omschrijft het huidige bezoekersaantal als “nagenoeg nihil”. Natuurlijk zit niemand te wachten op de honderdduizenden toeristen zoals Amboseli, Masai Mara en Ngorongoro trekken, maar een gestage instroom

van bijvoorbeeld tien tot twintig bezoekers per week zou een uit-komst zijn voor het parkbeheer en voor het op lange termijn in stand houden van dit unieke natuurgebied.

Ethiopie heeft veel unieke flora en fauna, die nergens anders ter wereld voorkomen, maar de toekomst hiervan is onze-ker. �oerisme wordt als belan-Toerisme wordt als belan-grijk middel gezien om deze unieke flora en fauna te kun-nen behouden.

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La montañas Bale – Parque Nacional Por: Alfonso Navarro �áppero

El parque Nacional de Dinsho se encuentra ubicado al su-reste de Etiopía en la región de Oromia y en pleno cora-zón de las montañas Bale. La altitud de este impresionan-te parque oscila entre los 1.500mt y los 4.377 mts, no en vano la cota más elevada de este parque, el monte Tulli Deemtu es la segunda montaña más alta de todo el país.

Bale National Park

El desnivel que presenta el parque favorece que la vegetación presen-te una marcada sucesión altitudi-nal lo que sin duda hará las deli-

cias de los aficionados a la natu-raleza ya que podrán disfrutar de amplias llanuras, extensos prados y bosques, matorrales, elevadas mesetas, cascadas, lagos alpinos, bosques tropi-cales y planicies alpinas que conforman un ecosistema único e irrepetible.

Pasear por este parque es un verdadero placer ya que sin mucho esfuerzo te pue-des encontrar con familias de simpáticos facoceros, monos aterciopelados, de Guereza y de Moleral, y chacales dorados. Con un poquito más de paciencia podremos llegar a obser-var animales endémicos tales como el Nyala de montaña , un animal pre-cioso del que hablaremos más detenidamente en otra ocasión, el zorro de Simien, el bushbuck de Menelik o la rata gigan-te.

También se pueden en-contrar en este parque Leones y Leopardos aunque cruzarse con uno de ellos resulta harto complicado.

Los

amantes de las aves no pueden de-jar de visitar este parque ya que en el anidan hasta 10 especies endémicas entre las cuales podríamos destacar El ganso Azul o el Chorlito de gargan-ta moteada. Recordemos que en este parque existen aproximadamente unas 800 especies de aves.

En definitiva, un parque accesible para todos y con atractivos turísticos tales que lo convierten en un atractivo tu-rístico que no debéis dejar de visitar.

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The Bale Mountains National Park, The park can be divided into three main areas. The central region is a high plateau including Tullu Deemto, the highest peak in southern Ethiopia, while the southern are is montane forest. �o the north the riverine plains and woodlands are home to most of the game in the park, as well as to many species of birds.

The park entrance, near the Head Quarter at Dinsho, lies just north of the main road about 7km from the vil-lage.

Exploring the park requires a 4x4 ve-hicle, and walking or pony trekking is preferred. �he Gaysay area, watered by the Gaysay river provides some of the best game viewing with consider-able numbers of Mountain Nyala, Dui-ker, Warthog and Menelik’s Bushbuck.

Sometimes Leopard and Simien Fox can be spotted. Bale Na-

tional Park is also renown for its distinctive flora and its superb fish-

ing. The mountain streams teem with brown and rainbow trout for the

fly fisherman, and Dinsho is the HQ of the Bale �rout Fishing

Club. Amongst the spec-tacular flora found in the region are the giant St. John’s Wort, stately red-hot pokers and the Giant Lobelia.

Sof Omar CavesYet another mysterious site takes visitors from Gobba, in Bale, for 120 kilometers (74 miles) eastward through a low valley filled with thorn trees and weird funnels of termite hills. �he visi-tors are sure to be fascinated with one of the most spectacular and extensive underground caverns in the world: the Sof Omar cave system, an extraordinary natural phenomenon of mag-nificent beauty. �he Sof Omar caves are one of Ethiopia’s secrets. They are reputedly the largest cave system in Africa with up to 16km of tunnels have been explored and have been carved out of the limestone rock by the web of River. .

�he caves currently constitute an important Is-lamic shrines named after the saintly Sheikh Sof Omar, who is said to have taken refuge here many centuries ago. The site has a religious his-tory of over thousand of year, which predates the arrival of the Muslims in Bale.

The caves are where nature has worked wonders of architecture, where one can see soaring pillars of stone twenty meters (66 feet) high, flying but-tresses, fluted archways, and tall airy vaults. Fi-nally, the river itself is reached, sunless sea flow-ing through a deep gorge.

�he large central hall of Sof Omar, the “Chamber of Columns” (so named after the colossal lime-stone pillars that are its dominant feature) is one of the highlights of the cave system.

�orches and, of course, a map are a must when on a visit to the Sof Omar caves. Maps are pro-vided by the Ethiopian �ourism Enterprise. Local guides also carry a copy of the map.

Bats (no trouble to the visitor), fish, and crusta-ceans are the only living creatures inhabiting the caves. There are crocodiles in the nearby river, but they seem to shun the caves themselves’ for-tunately! The countryside around the caves has an abundance of dik-dik and kudu, several cat, rock hyrax, giant tortoises, snakes, lizards, and more than fifty species of birds.

The Awash National Park, Lying in the lowlands at the east of Addis Ababa and striding the Awash River, the Awash National Park is one of the finest reserves in Ethiopia. The Awash river, one of the major rivers of the horn of Africa, waters important agricultural lands in the north of Ethiopia and eventually flows into the wilderness of the Danakil Depression. The dramatic Awash Falls, as the river tumbles into its gorge, is the sight not to be missed in the national park. Awash national park, surrounding the dormant volcano of Fantale, is a re-serve of arid and semi-arid woodland and savannah, with riverain forests along the Awash river. Forty six species of animals have been identified here, includ-ing beisa oryx and Swayne’s heartbeest. The bird life is prolific especially along the river and in the near-by lake Basaka and there are fine endemic amongst the 392 species recorded. A special attraction is the beautiful clear pools of the Filwoha hot springs. Access to the park is best from the main Addis Dire Dawa highway, and there is a caravan lodge called Kereyu Lodge at the edged of the gorge.

Lake WenchiWenchi Crater Lake is 155 km west of Addis Ababa, between Ambo and Welliso. An extinct volcano (the top of which is 3380 metres above sea level) the cra-ter contains a large lake, hot mineral springs, water-falls and beautiful valleys and farmland. The Crater Lake is found some 27 km south of Ambo. Before you reach this lake, the panorama to the right and left side of the gravel road is breathtaking. But, when you arrive at the Crater Lake you would be totally overtaken by the beauty of the surrounding landscape and the freshness of the air. Lake Wonchi is 560 hec-tares wide. The lake’s depth ranges from 9 to 67.8 meters. It is partially surrounded by forest. On the mountain, you can find monkeys, apes and gazelles. These hot springs are frequented by many people, as they are believed to have healing powers. There are two islands in the lake. In one of the islands there is an ancient church called Quirkos monastery. You can navigate to the monasteries on ferries. It is possible to hire horses to go down from the mountain to the lake. The round-trip charge is only less than 50 Birr. It takes you about one hour and half to reach the lake.

ABIYATTA SHALLA LAKES NATIONAL PARKS and LAKE LANGANOO

Abiyatta - Shalla Lakes National Parks situated in the Great Rift Valley, only 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Addis Ababa and in the nearby of Lake Lan-ganoo recreational areas. The Abiyatta - Shalla lakes national Park attracts numerous visitors. It was cre-ated primarily for its aquatic bird life, particularly those that feed and breed on lakes Abiyatta and Shal-la in large numbers. The park compresses the two lakes, the isthmus between them and a thin strip of land along the shorelines of each.

The two lakes are very different in character. Lake Abiyatta is shallow at about 14 metres (260 metres (853 feet) and is calculated to hold a grater volume of water than all of the Ethiopian Rift valley lakes put together. It is surrounded by gentle grass cov-ered slopes and swathed in acacia woodlands. Lake Shalla exudes a sense of mystery and foreboding, surrounded as it is by steep, black cliffs and peaks that reflect in its deep waters, which are liable to be whipped up by sudden storms and flurries of wind. It contains nine small islands, rarely visited since there are no boats on the lake. These islands provide an excellent breeding ground for many bird species.

Lake Langanoo is the third lake found across the main road. It is a particular and the only bilharzi-as free lake in Ethiopia. Lake Langanoo is a nicest place to have a sunbathing and water side entertain-ment around the lake. The lake is equipped with high standard resorts and hotels.

Other Attractions In association with the Abiyatta - Shalla Lakes Na-tional Park, Senkello Swayne’s hartebeest Sanctu-ary is found some 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the town of Shashemene, and close to the Chike entrance of the park. The sanctuary was established for this endemic subspecies of the hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei) which once roamed the planes of Somalia and Ethiopia in thousands, but is now re-stricted to four small localities in Ethiopia. The sanc-tuary is small but well worth a visit. Set beneath a small rounded hill, over 2,000 of these rich, choco-late colored hartebeest are packed into this area of wooded grassland, along with bohor reedbuck (Re-dunca Redunca), Oribi and many different species of birds.

Other Attractions


Quick info

The Oromiya Regional State

�he State of Oromiya sprawls over the largest part of the country and at present comprises of 18 administrative zones and 180 woredas. Of the 18 zones, Bale and Borena account for 45.7% of the State’s total area but only about 14% of the state’s population. �he Council of the State of Oromiya is the highest body of its administration.

CAPITAL CITY

�he capital city of the State of Oromiya is Finfine (Addis Ababa)

LOCATION

Located Eastern, central and western part of Ethiopia at 30 24’ 20’N to 100 23’ 26’ N and from 3407’ 37’E to 420 58’ 51’ E. �he State of Oromiya borders Afar, Amhara and the State of Benshangul/Gumuz in the north, Kenya in the south, �he State of Somali in the east, the Republic of the Sudan and the state of Benishangul/gumuz in the west, the State of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ and the state of Gambella in the south.

AREA

Based on the political map (1994 Population and Housing Census Commission, CSA), the estimated area of the State of Oromiya is about 353,690 Km2, and accounts for almost 32% of the country.

POPULATION

According to the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), Oromiya has a total population of 27,158,471, makes it the largest state in terms of population.

MAJOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Over 90% of the people of Oromia live in the rural area, and agriculture has remained the source of livelihood for the overwhelming majority of the people. �he main agricultural crops include maize, teff, wheat, barely, peas, bean and various types of oil seeds. Coffee is the main cash crop in the region. Oromiya accounts for 51.2% of the crop production, 45.1% of the area under temporary crops and 44% of the total livestock population of Ethiopia.

TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

It is a region of great physiographic diversity. Oromiya’s landscape includes high and rugged mountain ranges, plateaus, panoramic gorges and deep incised river valleys, and rolling plains. Rising from less than 500 meters above sea level to high

ranges that culminate into Mt. Batu (4607 m) the highest peak of the region. Oromiya is endowed with varied relief features which in turn accentuate varied and amiable climatic condition and other rich natural resource bases. Oromiya is a remnant part of the high and extensive Afro-Arabian plateau formed from continued uplift, rifting and subsequent volcanic piles. High relief of over 1500m is dominant. �he climatic types prevailing in the region may be grouped into 3 major categories: the dry climate, tropical rainy climate and temperate rainy climate. �he dry climate is characterized by poor sparse vegetation with annual mean temperature of 270c to 390c, and mean annual rainfall of less than 450 mm. �he hot semi-arid climate mean annual temperature varies between 180c and 270c. It has a mean annual rainfall of 410-820 mm with noticeable variability from year to year. Highlands of Oromiya experience temperate climate of moderate temperature, (mean temperature of the coolest month is less than 180c) and ample precipitation (1200-2000mm).

RIVERS AND LAKES

Awash, Wabe-Shebele, Genale, Gibe, Baro, Dedessa and Guder are major rivers in the region. River Awash,

which is the longest river inside Ethiopia is a source of great agroindustrial and hydroelectric power.

�he crater lakes Green lake (true to its name), Bishoftu, Kuriftu, Bishoftu-Gudo, Hora-Kilole,

Hora Arsedi, and the rift-valley lakes Ziway, Abiyata, Shala, and Langano are found in this

region. They have immense potential for recreation and

fishery development.

FAUNA

�here are around 800 bird species and more than 100 wild animals in the region. Endemic wild animals such as the mountain Nyala, the Semien Red Fox and Menelik Bushbuck inhabit the Bale mountains national park.

�he Awash National Park, the oldest and most developed game reserve of its kind in Ethiopia, consists most of the East African plain games except Giraffe and Buffalo. It is home to the Oryx, Kudu, Caracal, Aardavark, Colobus Monkey, Green Monkeys, Baboons, Leopard, Klipspringer, Hippo, Seemering’s Gazelle, Grevy’s, Zebra and Cheetah.

�he Awash National Park is also a natural sanctuary of numerous bird-species, some of which include Limburger, Wattle Crane, Angur Buzzard, Verreaux Eagle and long eared owls. Water Fowls, Shore Birds and the colorful Ruddy Shelled Duck as well as the endemic Blue-winged Goose are common in the marshy areas of the park.

http://www.oromiyaa.com

Addis AbebA, «Flor NuevA»

Addis Abeba, “Flor Nueva” en amárico, fue

c o n s t r u i -da en 1889. Es el centro

geográfico del país, situada

entre 2300 y 2500 mts de al-

titud, vi- ven más de cinco millones de perso- nas y ocupa una extensión de 250 km². Aunque es usada normal-mente como punto de partida para viajes organizados a lo largo del país, y poca gente permanece en ella más de unas horas, merece la pena disfrutar de la tercera ciudad más grande de África durante un par de días. Si además, como en mi caso, es la primera vez que estas en una gran ciudad sub-sahariana la estan- c i a es obligada.

Las ruedas del avión tocan tierra, y el pasaje compuesto mayoritariamente por etíopes, aplaude el evento. �ras tres horas viendo al Nilo discurrir por el desierto desde la ventanilla del avión mientras atravesamos Egipto y Sudan, poco a poco el paisa-je se ha vuelto verde y montañoso, y media hora antes de aterrizar en el aeropuerto de Bole ya esta lloviendo, como cada mediodía en temporada de lluvias. �odo es verde, incluso se ven enormes rebaños de vacas desde el avión, ¿dónde esta el de-s ier to? ¿también llueve

en Etiopia? ¿Será que tenemos una idea equi-vocada de este país? Segura-mente...

Un minibús nos deja frente al hotel

Wutma, en la Piazza. La primera impre-sión es la de una ciudad poco moderna, sucia y ruido-sa, pero con un gran atractivo. Llena de contrastes, no sorprende encontrar burros o vacas en sus calles, mo-numentos de la antigua época marxista, el lujoso Hotel Sheraton, curas con llamativos atuendos casi medievales, gente ha-ciendo café en hornillos callejeros, ejecutivos con teléfonos móviles, pastelerías, cafeterías, altos edificios junto a pequeñas chabolas de venta de souvenirs...

Orientarse en Addis Abeba no es fácil. La mayoría de las calles no tienen nombre, todo esta cerca de algún lugar cono-cido, una zona, una plaza o una calle con nombre, un

famoso edificio o un monu- mento, la estación de tren, una compa- ñía aérea, una embajada... En caso de existir un centro seria La Piazza, u n a zona que

comprende unas vein-

te calles alrededor

d e De Gaulle Square, de allí sale

Chur- chill Road que acaba unos tres ki- lómetros más abajo en La Gare ( e s t a - ción de tren), y a tan solo 500 metros de Mes- kel Square. Al oeste de la Piazza se encuentra El Merkato, el mercado al aire libre más grande de África.

Deja de llover, la gente que se refugió donde pudo duran-te la media hora que duran estas lluvias, vuelve a inundar

las calles. Mi primera comida etiopie, Kitfo...

Destaca la Catedral de St George con sus maravillosas pinturas y murales, al

norte de Churchill Road. El National Museum, donde se encuentra Lucy

el fósil del homínido más antiguo del mundo, debe ser visitado con guía pues

las piezas están pobremente etiquetadas. El Ethnological Museum, con colecciones

de arte, cultura, folklore e historia, para empezar a empaparnos con la diversidad del

país; el África Hall, sede de la Organización para la Unidad Africana; el Mausoleo de Menelik, donde des-cansa el rey que unifico el país; el Merkato, el mercado al aire libre más grande de África, donde

podrás comprar de todo y disfrutar del bullicioso ambiente, cui-dado con los carteristas; el Museo de Historia Na-tural donde se exponen más 4 5 0 clases de pájaros autóctonos; la Catedral de la Tri- nidad, la iglesia or-todoxa más grande del país...

Mt. Wenchi. Excursion de un día desde Addis. Comida en Wanddimuu Shiree Hotel

(Ambo), ascensión al lago ubicado en el cráter del volcán Wenchi (3386 mts),

y visita a la iglesia Cherkos, situada en una de las islitas del lago. De regreso, las

modestas cascadas Guder (8 metros de alto por 20 de ancho) y para finalizar un

baño en uno de los múltiples baños terma-les de Ambo.

“Nations and Nationalities Day would be colourfully celebrated in Makalle”This year Mekalle will host three major events; World Tour-ism Day, Ethiopia’s Cities Day and the eagerly awaited cel-ebration of the Nations’ and Nationalities’ Day festivity.

Mekalle was founded in the 13th century and served as the capital of the Emperor Yohannes the IV (1871-1889). Nowadays, Mekalle is the most important town of the Ti-gray National Regional State, lies 780 km north of Ad-dis Ababa. In the town, there is an interesting museum, with numerous exhibits of Emperor’s time and follow-ing history. Besides, the museum building used to serve as the Emperor’s palace first. Mekalle is also identified as a transit point for the camel caravans bringing salt up from the arid lands of the Dankal Depression. That is why the market place is a very attractive place to visit. Visi-tors can also make short trips into the Dankal area to take a look at some of the Afar nomads that move around the region as well 120 rock hewn churches with in a radius of 80 km – space. The city also has an International air-port (Alula Aba Nega). These days, Mekalle is one of the

Mekalle in Colours

fast growing cities in the north Ethiopia and is becom-ing an ideal region for visiting, investing and studying.

In December 2011, one of the major events in the country, which is Ethiopia’s nations’ and nationalities’ day, would be marked colourfully in Mekalle. The Tigray National Regional state capital has made the necessary arrange-ments to celebrate vividly the day with various events. It is a great opportunities to see your of dreams of little Ethiopia in one place. Ethiopia is a country of no less than 80 ethnics group with their own distinct culture, history, language and way of life. They will display during the events their culture, traditional music, food, arts and dress.

There is no doubt; this event is becoming one of Ethiopia’s tourism attractions.

Contact the Tigray Tourism Bureau for details of the pro-gram and venue.

Telephone: +251-34-440 9360, +251-34-440 1032,

P.o.Box: 124, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia

E-Mail: [email protected]

Mekalle in Colours


Gondar; La Camelot de Etiopía

El emperador Fasílidas y sus sucesores con-struyeron en la capital de su reino un con-junto arquitectónico único en todo el país pero también en el continente. El paisaje

que nos dejaron fue el de auténticos castillos medi-evales en Africa. Un lugar cargado de magia que es visitado por millones de turistas y que ostenta la denominación de Patrimonio de la Humanidad desde 1979.

Fundada en 1635 por el emperador Alam Sagad o Fasílidas, Gondar está repleta de historia y magia. Cuenta la leyenda que este emperador se encontró un día con un búfalo que le condujo por la selva hasta un precioso estanque. Cerca de allí vivía un anciano y venerable ermitaño, el cual aconsejó al emperador la con-strucción de la capital de su reino en ese mismo lugar. Fa-sílidas, que vio una clara señal de buen augurio en todo esto, mandó cubrir el estanque con tierra creando un terreno edi-ficable, y allí comenzó su cas-tillo. El resto de sus descendi-entes también edificarían sus castillos por esa zona, además de múltiples construcciones como iglesias o baños.

La capital del reino empezó a crecer de manera co-losal. Gran prosperidad anunciaba la nueva morada del emperador, que en el S. XVII sería la 2ª ciudad más poblada del mundo, una muestra irrefutable de su imparable crecimiento. La ciudad seguiría siendo capital hasta que el emperador Tewodros II la tra-sladó a Magadala (después de un gran saqueo a la misma).

Dentro de la ciudad de Gondar se encuentra la ciu-dadela de Fasil Ghebi, un recinto amurallado del S. XVII donde se ubican numerosos edificios (incluido el castillo de Fasílidas) que le han otorgado la con-dición de Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UN-ESCO.

La importancia arquitectónica del complejo reside principalmente en su estilo, denominado estilo de Gondad. En éste se mezclan motivos árabes con grande toques de barroco europeo, introducido en la zona gracias a los misioneros jesuitas, pero además toma tendencias indias, lo cual tiene como resultado un verdadero tesoro arquitectónico que choca visu-

almente con el resto de construc-ciones del país y el continente.

La gran muralla de 900 metros de longitud, tiene 12 grandes pu-ertas y 2 puentes, y tras ella se esconden multitud de edificios. Encontramos el Castillo de Fasíl-ides, de base rectangular y flan-queado por 4 torres redondas que se encuentran rematadas por bel-lisimas cúpulas. Quizá esta sea la

obra más importante, no obstante también podemos encontrar el catillo del emperador Iyasu, el más alto del recinto, la tumba del caballo favorito de Fasílides, multitud de iglesias (con im-presionante decoración interior) así como salones de banquetes y muchos más edificios.

A pesar de ser una zona azotada por terremotos, ni estos, ni las guerras y saqueos han conseguido acabar con este mastodóntico complejo. Es actualmente una de las fuentes principales del turismo, y no resulta extraño adivinar el por qué cuando uno aprecia las imágenes de este increíble lugar.


Gondar en Simien De ruïnes van kastelen en kerken herinneren aan de zeventiende eeuw toen dit de hoofdstad was van het Abessijnse rijk. In de koninklijke baden worden jaarlijks honderden mensen gedoopt tijdens het Timkat-festival waarbij de doop van christus wordt herdacht. De Debre Birhan Selassie-kerk staat bekend om zijn fraaie perspectiefloze muurschilderingen.

In dit vulkanische gebergte in het noorden van Ethiopië- dat zo’n vijfenzeventig miljoen jaar geleden ontstond - ligt de Ras Dashen Terara, met zijn 4624 meter het hoogste punt van het land en de vierde hoogste berg van Afrika. De top laat zich beklimmen en het park biedt ideale mogelijkheden voor bergwandelaars en natuurliefhebbers. Die vinden in dit bergmassief grote rotsplateaus doorsneden door rivieren - waardoor over een lengte van vijfendertig kilometer ravijnen ontstonden van soms wel vijftienhonderd meter diep - , een afro-alpine landschap en bijzondere bewoners als Lammergieren, Gelada-bavianen, Ethiopische wolven en de Walia Steenbok. De laatste drie vindt u nergens anders op aarde. Door zijn unieke flora en fauna valt het park onder het werelderfgoed van de Verenigde Naties.

27JUILLET 2011

Yeha, TigrayBy: John Fittin

Ethiopia’s historic route begins with a glance at the tantalising remains of Yeha - the country’s earliest high civilisation. In a remote part of Tigray region, Yeha lies several hours drive from the more accessible city of Axum, The journey takes you on rough tracks through dramatic highland scenery and eventually ends in a beautiful and serene agricultural hamlet. It is there, close to a much more recent Christian church, that you may see the towering ruins of Yeha’s Temple of the Moon - built more than 2,500 years ago, in Sabaean times. The temple is an imposing rec-tangular edifice. Though it has long since lost its roof and up-per storeys the ruins stand some twelve metres in height. As eve-ning falls, the temple’s finely

dressed and polished limestone reflects the glow of the setting sun with a warmth and brilliance that cannot be accidental. The huge, precisely fitted blocks from which the inward- inclining walls are formed seem to bear out an-cient opinion that Sabaean buil-dings could be filled with water without a single drop being lost. Apart from the temple, howe-ver - which speaks eloquently of the works of a high civilisation - little or nothing is known about the people who built this great edifice. Indeed, their origins are wrapped in mystery of which, perhaps, the greatest is this: if a culture had evolved to the level of sophistication required to build monuments of such quality in the highlands of Tigray by the sixth century BC, then what were its antecedents? What came before it? And how far back does Ethio-pian civilisation really go? So far the archaeologists have unco-vered no convincing answers to these questions.Come and see the

mistrious land !

Tigray culture and Tourism agen-cy invites you to the land of trea-sures !

Yeha

In dit boerengehucht in de hoo-glanden vindt u het oudste ge-bouw van Ethiopië: de ruïne van de Tempel van de Maan. Het rechthoekige en een meter of tien hoge gebouw – waarvan dak en bovenverdieping de tand des tijds niet doorstonden – is onge-veer 2500 jaar oud. De binnenste muren zijn opgetrokken uit grote blokken kalksteen. Dat gebeurde volgens de overlevering omdat de Sabanen – afkomstig uit het hui-dige Jemen – bouwden vanuit de gedachte dat je de gebouwen kon laten vollopen met water zonder dat er ook maar één druppel ver-loren ging. Over die Sabanen is verder nauwelijks iets bekend. Wetenschappers vragen zich af wat voor beschaving dit moet zijn geweest die eeuwen voor de geboorte van christus al zulke bouwwerken kon neerzetten.

Dallol: l’Enfer sur terreDallol est un cratère situé en terri-toire Afar, dans le désert du Danakil au nord de l’Ethiopie. Outre sa tem-pérature qui atteint régulièrement les 45° à l’ombre, c’est zone volcani-que dépourvue de toute formes de vie mais renommée pour toutes ces curiosités géologique : gey-sers, plaque de sels, vasques d’acide sul-f u r i q u e , s o u f f r e , chlorure de mag-nésium, s o u d e et oxyde de fer. Les tem-pératures m ax i m a l e s des eaux ont été mesurées à 70 °C.

C’est la présence de tous ses mé-taux et acides qui confère à ce terri-toire une telle beauté et de tels cou-leurs, mais aussi un degré d’acidité extrême (Ph de 2) et des émanations toxiques empêchant toute forme de vie de se développer.

Dallol porte d’ailleurs bien son nom puisqu’en Afar Dallol signi-fie « disloqué » ou « décomposé » à l’image de ce paysage de déso-lation.

“Terre des extrêmes, univers miné-ral par excellence, le Dallol, vaste zone désolée située sous le niveau de la mer, au cœur de la dépression du Danakil, ressemble à une anoma-lie géologique. En terre Afar, nous découvrirons, à pied, la banquise d’où partent les caravanes de sel, et gravirons le volcan Erta Alé, rendu célèbre par son lac de lave en fu-sion.”

La découverte du site par les premiers colons européens date

certainement des premières colo-nisations et expéditions dans la région, au 17ème ou 18ème siècle. Mais l’hostilité de la dépression, la chaleur insupportable qui y règne et le danger du site (vasques acides, émanations toxiques…), n’ont pas dû favoriser les expédi-tions dans les zones proches du cratère.

Il existe, dans le cratère de Dal-

lol, une ville f a n t ô m e ,

anc ienne u s i n e

d’extraction de potas-

sium utilisée par les Italiens pen-

dant l’invasion du pays par Mussolini, puis abandonné aux alentours de 1930. Réutilisé plus tard par les Améric-ains comme vil-lage, le site finit par être f ina lement abandonné dans les an-nées 60, les c o n d i t i o n s

géographiques n’étant pas propices à l’expansion du vil-lage. Aujourd’hui, les dé-combres de l’ancienne usine sont encore visibles : ils s’amoncellent en tas de métaux rouillés par l’humidité acide du volcan, pro-gressivement recouverts avec le temps par les sources chaudes et les concrétions.

La Depresión Dallol ( Dan-akil)Dallol es la extensión más septen-trional del [Gran] Valle del Rift. Está ba jo el nivel del mar y actúa como una caldera, atrapando todo el calor.

Dallol es un campo de cráteres freáticos en la inhóspita llanura salina al noreste de la región de la sierra de Erta Ale, en una de las zonas más desoladas (y caluro-sas) de la depresión de Danakil.

Los cráteres de Dallol son los conductos de magma subaereos más ba jos del mundo. El cráter más reciente de estos, Dallol, se formó durante una erupción en 1926. En la zona de Dallol se pu-eden encontrar coloridos manan-tiales de azufre caliente así como depósitos fumarólicos.

Se trata de un desierto con zonas por

deba jo de los 116

metros ( 3 2 8 pies) b a j o e l niv-e l d e l

mar.

E s t e hecho lo

hace especial en cuanto a que es

uno de los lugares más ba jos de la tierra no cubiertos por agua. Se pueden ver campos sulfúricos amarillos entre salinas blancas resplandecientes. Hay además varios volcanes activos.

El volcán activo Monte Erta Ale, (en cuyo cráter yace el único vol-cán terrestre ba jo el nivel del mar y el único lago de lava per-manente del mundo), tiene paisajes de colores vividos, depósitos minerales in-creíbles, la-gos sulfúri-cos, man-a n t i a l e s de azufre b u r b u -j e a n t e , así como otras cu-riosidades fascinantes dignas de ver.

¿Entonces, cuanto calor hace en la Depre-sión Dallol?

Si hablamos de temperaturas, los lugares más cálidos del pla-neta son la Depresión Dallol en Etiopía y el Valle de la Muerte en California.

Las temperaturas al sol pueden ascender a los 145 ° Fahrenheit, (63° centígrados) y las temper-aturas superan los 93° Fahrenheit (34° centígrados) todos los días del año. En verano no hay un sólo día en que las temperaturas desci-endan de los 104° Fahrenheit (40° centígrados). Dallol tiene el re-cord de la temperatura anual más alta registrada.

El pueblo Afar

Esta tierra inhóspita ha servido de hogar al pueblo Afar (Danakil) durante al menos dos mil años. Los hombres Afar eran bien cono-cidos por su ferocidad y su xeno-fobia hasta 1930. Hasta este año, ¡era costumbre el cortarles los testículos a los intrusos varones! Tradicionalmente, los Afar eran pastores nómadas, y, junto a los

Tigreanos, siguen trabajando las barras de sal del lago situado en la Depresión de Dallol, y lleván-dolas con caravanas de camellos

hacia Tigray, por antiguos senderos.

Este viaje de aventuras

no está pensado ni para p u s i -

lánimes ni para

aquel los q u e

necesiten de cualquier tipo de

lu jo. El clima inexo-rable puede poner de los nervios a cualquiera que no esté preparado. Es un viaje exigente a una zona con muy poca infraestructura. De hecho, Dallol es uno de los desti-nos menos accesibles del planeta. Muchas zonas están en mal esta-do y tienen los accesos cortados y la única manera de acceder es gracias a las carava-nas de camel-los.

A p e s a r de las d u r a s condiciones, la Depresión Dallol es un lugar extraordinario para visi-tar, con unos paisajes espléndidos y una experiencia fantástica para el viajero aventurero. Además, de que sólo existe en Etiopía.

The Afar (Da-llol) Depres-sionThe Dallol Depression, also called Danakil Depression, is an amazing desert. This is special because it is one of the lowest points on earth not covered by water. There are hot yellow sul-fur fields among the sparkling white salt beds. Heat isn’t the only thing people feel in the Dal-lol Depression. Alarming earth tremors are frequently felt. There are also several active volcanoes. So just how hot is it at the Dallol Depression? Dallol is also part of the Depression, one of the hottest places year-round anywhere on Earth, with a shaded air-temper-ature record of 64.4 °C (148 °F).The climate varies from around 25 °C (77 °F) during the rainy season (September–March) to 48 °C (118 °F) during the dry season (March–September).

In northeastern Ethiopia one of the earth’s dri-

est deserts is mak-ing way for a new

ocean. This region of

the African co nt i n e nt (Afar De-pression) is pulling apart in two direc-t i o n s — a

process that is gradually

thinning the earth’s rocky

outer skin. The continental crust un-

der Afar is a mere 20 kilo-meters from top to bottom, less

than half its original thickness, and parts of the area are over 100 me-ters below sea level. Low hills to the east are all that stops the Red Sea from encroaching. Such proximity to the planet’s scorching interior has

transformed the region into a dy-n a m i c l a n d -s c a p e o f e a r t h -quakes, v o l c a -n o e s and hy-drothermal fields—mak-ing Afar a veri-table paradise for adventurous people, eager to understand those processes. Yet few outsiders, scien-tists included, have ever set foot in Afar. �he Erta Ale volcano casts a spectacular image across the sky as it is a continually erupting volcano. Looking like a scene of biblical de-struction one of its pits known as the ‘gateway to hell’.

Afar is w e l l known as one of the

c r a -dles of hominids, containing the Middle Awash, site of many fossil homi-nid discoveries such as Ardi, (ar-dipithecus ramidus); Gona, site

of the world’s oldest stone tools; and H a d a r , site of Lucy, the fossilized specimen of Aus-

tralopithe-cus afaren-

sis. Worth to be visited!

Danakil Depressie

Dit gebied ligt 120 meter beneden zeeniveau en is daarmee de laagst gelegen plek op aarde. Het is ook een van de warmste oorden ter wereld. De aardkorst is hier zo dun dat er constant verse lava naar

boven wordt geduwd. Het water dat door

de aardkorst naar beneden

dringt komt er als s t o o m weer uit-g e s p o -ten. Deze w o e s t i j n b e h o o r d e

t i e n d u i z e n d jaar geleden tot

de Rode Zee. Dat ve-randerde toen de aard-

korst inzakte en zich met water vulde. Vulkanische uitbarstingen

zorgden voor natuurlijk dijken en rotsformaties waardoor het water niet terug naar de zee kon vloeien. In het zuidelijke gebied evaporeerde het water door de grote hitte waar-door enorme zoutvlakten ontston-den. Deze moeilijk toegankelijke

vlakte wordt bewoond door de Afar. Dit nomadenvolk leeft voornamelijk van de zoutwinning.

Best period to visit: April, November, December, January, February, March

La meilleure période pour visiter: Avril, Novembre, Décembre, Janvier, Févri-er, Mars

Mejor época para visitar: abril, noviembre, diciem-bre, enero, febrero, marzo

Beste periode om te bezoeken: April, Novem-ber, Decembre, Januari, Februari, Maart

Religion plays an important part of life in Ethiopia. The Orthodox Tewahedo Church ceremonies are unique and impressive; especially Timket and Meskel festivals which provide colorful ceremonies and celebrations. People dress in traditional costume and celebrate festivals across the country with colorful unique ceremonies such as Enkutatash (New Year), Meskel (Finding of the True Cross), Ledet (Christmas), Timket (Epiphany) and Fasika (Easter).

Ethiopia has a large Muslim population, their holidays are based on the lunar calendar and thus fall at different times each year. The ninth month of the Muslim calendar is devoted to Ramadan, which is marked by fasting. The greatest Muslim feast of the year is ‘Id Al Fatr’, which celebrates the end of Ramadan. The ‘Id al Adha’ is the feast marking Abraham’s sacrifice. On these days, after praying and listening to the imam (religious leader) preach, Muslim Ethiopians sacrifice animals and distribute part of the meat to the poor. Muslims also celebrate the prophet Mohammed’s birthday ‘Moulid’ and mark the anniversaries of numerous martyrs.

As well other traditional festivals like Irrecha and Fiche to mention some, take place in the country every year.

Enkutatash (New Year)Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) falls on Meskerm 1 Ethiopian calendar (September 11 Gregorian calendar) at the end of the Ethiopian rainy season and is called Enkutatash. Meskerm 1 is also celebrated to mark the commemoration of Saint John the Baptist. Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) is not only a religious holiday but it also a day for young boys and girls to sing and dance and for exchanging New Year greetings among urban and rural inhabitants.

Meskel (Finding of the True Cross)Meskel is celebrated by dancing, feasting and lighting a massive bonfire known in Ethiopian tradition as “Damera”. Meskel commemorates the finding of the True Cross in the fourth century when Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, discovered the True Cross on which Christ was crucified. The feast is celebrated in Ethiopia on Meskerm 17 Ethiopian calendar (September 27 Gregorian calendar), 6 months after the discovery of the True Cross. The celebration of Meskel signifies the presence of the True Cross at mountain of Gishen Mariam monastery and also symbolizes the events carried out by Empress Helena.

According to tradition, Empress Helena lit incense and prayed for assistance to guide her. The smoke drifted towards the direction of the buried cross. She dug and found three crosses; one of them was the True Cross used to crucify Jesus Christ. Empress Helena then gave a piece of the True Cross to all churches, including the Ethiopian Church. This piece was then brought to Ethiopia. According to the Ethiopian legend, when people get close to the piece of the True Cross it made them

naked by its powerful light. Because of this, a decision was made to bury it at the mountain of Gishen Mariam monastery in Wollo region. The monastery of Gishen Mariam holds a volume of a book which records the story of the True Cross of Christ and how it was acquired.

IrrechaIrecha means �hanksgiving Day to their ‘Waqa’ or God. It originated among the Blue Nile bound Cushitic people of Oromo for thousands of years. At national level, it is celebrated in Bishoftu town in Oromia state at Lake Hora Arsadi. �his festivity is celebrated on last Sunday of September or first Sunday of October. On the festival Aba Gadaas, community leaders and folks share their produces and address thanks to Waqa for the blessed transition from the rainy season to the bright and colorful Birra season.

Debra Damo (Feast of Saint Aregawi)Orthodox Tewahedo Christians celebrate the feast of Saint (Abune) Aregawi, on Tikimt 14 Ethiopian calendar (October 24 Gregorian calendar) which culminates in a pilgrimage to Debra Damo, about 25 kilometres from Adigrat, from all over the country.

Kulubi (Feast of Saint Gabriel)The feast of Saint Gabriel (kulubi Gebriel), the Archangel, is celebrated on Tahisas 19 Ethiopian calendar (December 28 Gregorian calendar) which culminates in a pilgrimage to Kulubi, about 68 kilometres from Dire Dawa. Orthodox Tewahedo Christians mark the celebration with colorful processions and ceremonies. Pilgrims walk up the hill to the church to fulfill a vow and give gifts to the church. Some pilgrims carry heavy rocks on their back up the hill to the church.

Ledet (Christmas)Ledet (Christmas) falls on Tahisas 29 Ethiopian calendar (January 7 Gregorian calendar). Ledet (Christmas) is celebrated after 43 days fasting known as Tsome Gahad (Advent), with a spectacular procession, which begins at 6 AM and lasts until 9 AM. After the mass service, people go home to break the fast with the meat of chicken or lamb or beef accompanied with injera and the traditional drinks (i.e. tella or tej).

Timket (Epiphany)This is an extremely colourful three-day festival commemorating the baptism of Christ. The night before, priests take the Tabot (which symbolizes the Ark of the Covenant) containing the Ten Commandments from each Church. Concealed by an ornamental cloth, it is taken to a tent, close to a consecrated pool or stream, accompanied by

Festiva

ls

much ringing of bells, blowing of trumpets and the burning of incense. In Addis Ababa many tents are pitched at Jan Meda, to the northeast of the city centre. At 0200 there is a Mass, and crowds attend, with picnics lit by oil lamps. At dawn the priest extinguishes a candle burning on a pole set in a nearby river using a ceremonial cross. Some of the congregations leap into the river. The Tabots are then taken back to the Churches in procession, accompanied by horsemen, while the festivities continue. In the year 2012, Timket in Gondar will be much more colorful with Gondar Carnival festivals. The Timket feast, in Gondar will last for four days long with authentic century’s old traditions and folkloric singings and dancing in every corners of the town.

Fasika (Easter)Fasika (Easter) is celebrated after 55 days severe Lent fasting (Hudade or Abye Tsome). Orthodox Tewahedo Christians do not eat meat and diary products for the whole 55 days. Vegetarian meals such as lentils, ground split peas, grains, fruit and varieties of vegetable stew accompanied by injera and/or bread are only eaten on these days. The fist meal of the day is taken after 3 PM (9 o’clock in the afternoon Ethiopian time) during the fasting days, except Saturdays and Sundays, where a meal is allowed after the morning service.

On Easter eve people go to church and celebrate with candles which are lit during a colorful Easter mass service which begins at about 6 PM (12 o’clock in the evening Ethiopian time) and ends at about 2 AM (8 o’clock after mid-night Ethiopian time). Everyone goes home to break the fast with the meat of chicken or lamb, slaughtered the previous night after 6 PM, accompanied with Injera and traditional drinks (i.e. tella or tej). Like Christmas, Easter is also a day of family re-union, an expression of good wishes with exchange of gifts (i.e. lamb, goat or loaf of bread).

ASHENDAAshenda is a unique Tigraian traditional festival which takes place in August to mark the ending of fasting called Filseta. This event is mostly for girls and young women, which they await very eagerly every year. The name of the festival “Ashenda” comes from the name of a tall grass that the girls make in to a skirt and ware it around their waist as a decoration.

The young women and girls dress the best traditional dresses called Tilfie which is a cotton dress decorated with amazing embroidery from the neck to toe in front of the dress. The girls also adorned them selves with array of beautiful jewelry.

After they gather in the village or city center they divide in to small groups and they go house to house singing and playing their drums. They stop at ever house and sing and dance for the people in the houses. It is customary for people to give them money, food and drinks and other items for their efforts.

They continue the whole day going from house to house and occasionally stopping in a village or city center and singing and dancing for a while before they go on again on their tour.

A week or so after the celebrations started, the event comes to an end with all the girls from the village or the town coming together in the center of the town or a village singing and dancing until sun down. This time the young boys join in more like spectators than active players.

Fiche�he Sidama nation has its own New Year celebration which will be celebrated for two weeks colorfully every year. �he holiday is known by the name of Fiche. �he Fiche day will be clearly identified through the Ayantos (the traditional astrologists). �he Ayantos will spot the day in advance through observing the stars and notify to the clan leaders. On a market day in every area, the day will be communicated to the public through announcement. Elders in every area will start fasting for fifteen days, and on their fasting break day, Safote Qetela (blessing and traditional dance) shall be performed.

Sheik Hussein (Islamic Pilgrimage)13 centuries ago, a Muslim Sheikh from the Hadramut (a district on the south coast of Arabia, bounded west by Yemen, eat by Oman and North by the Dahna desert), is believed to have landed on the Indian Ocean shoreline and followed the great river, the Wabi Shebelle, from its mouth to its headwaters. Here he settled and preached Islam and performed many miracles. He died in the Bale Mountains. His tomb became a shrine, and the shrine became a village named Sheik Hussein after his death. Sheikh Hussein’s tomb is in a large white sepulcher topped by a red-blue dome. The scene at the tomb is dramatic & so religious: pilgrims kiss the walls of the tomb, crying, prostrating themselves and unburdening themselves of their problems. The experience is entirely cathartic. It has continued to be the destination of approximately 50,000 pilgrims twice a year during the Muslim months of Hajj and Rabi` al-Awwal. Most Pilgrimages come from Ethiopia’s remote villages after an arduous journey to pray at the shrine of Sheikh Hussein. Some will travel by donkey or mule, but most will walk on barefoot - for up to 6 weeks or more to reach this sacred place. During 700 years, since the Sheikh’s death, the pilgrimages have evolved into a mixture of Saint Cult and ancient ritual. By tradition, the departure of the pilgrims from their remote villages is governed by the waxing and waning of the moon.

Bezoek Addis Ababa en Arba Minch

Zijn naam is Amhaars voor ‘nieuwe bloem’, een ver-wijzing naar de prachtige bloemen die de vrouw van een van de eerste keizers van Ethiopië ooit zag bij warme bronnen aan de voet van Mount Intoto. Op die plek liet haar man een stad bouwen die zou uit-groeien tot de hoofdstad van het land. De berg ligt er nog steeds en biedt vanaf de top en panoramisch uitz-icht over de stad. Addis is de hoofdzetel van talrijke internationale organisaties, waaronder de Afrikaanse

Unie die in de jaren zestig werd opgericht mede op initiatief van de toenmalige Ethiopische keizer Haile Selassie. In de stad bevindt zich ook het nationale museum – met het skelet van ‘Lucy’, een jonge vrouw die ruim drie miljoen jaar geleden leefde en wier stoffelijke resten behoren tot de oudste die ooit zijn opgegraven – en de grootste openluchtmarkt van Afrika: Merkato.

Arba Minch & Nech Sar National ParkDe naam van dit stadje verwijst naar de veertig warmwaterbronnen die hier verscholen in de bossen liggen. Voor de Ethiopiërs houdt hun land op na deze stad. Alles wat ten zuiden ervan ligt, beschouwen ze als ‘bush’. Dat komt onder andere door het landsc-hap dat bestaat uit bergen en savannes met wilde di-eren en traditioneel levende stammen van ‘wilden’.

Nech Sar betekent ‘wit gras’ dat hier rijkelijk groeit. Het park ligt ingeklemd tussen twee meren waar vol-gens kenners de grootste krokodillen ter wereld lev-en. Wie denkt dat ze vreedzaam samenleven met de vele nijlpaarden vergist zich. Overbevissing bedreigt de visstand in het meer en daarmee ook de krokodil-len die zich door voedselgebrek minder voortplanten en vaker hun jongen opeten. Bezoekers kunnen de indrukwekkende waterbewoners van dichtbij beki-jken tijdens een boottocht op het Chamomeer. Het nationale park staat ook bekend als plek waar de laat-ste ‘Swayne’s hartebeesten’ in het wild leven. Daar-naast lopen er zebra’s, koedoes, dik diks en grote loopvogels van de Trap-familie.

Addis Ababa

Gedeo Zone is a part of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region State (SNNPRs) of Ethiopia with breathtaking landscape and the greenest part of the country. This Zone is named after the Gedeo people, whose homelands lie in this zone. Gedeo extends south as a narrow strip of land along the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian Highlands into the Oromiya Region, which borders the Zone on the east, south and west; Gedeo shares its northern boundary with Sidama. Agro- forestry is a common practice for each and every Gedeo’s family. The zone is famous for the premium gourmet Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee and Enset (False banana) with remarkable ecosystem. Dilla is the zone administration town, which will celebrate its 100 years anniversary with festivities and events this year. The other major towns of the Zone are Yegacheffe and Bule.

The Gedeo Zone is not only blessed with natural scenery, but also a land of humble and hospitable people. There are some stelaes excavated and many more buried in this forestry land require further archaeological study. Tutu Fela, Tutit and Scoro-Sodo stelae sites are the most impressive and located with interval of average some 6 to 10 km along the high way with additional 2 to 4 km away from the high way.

The town of Yirgacheffe (Irgachefe; Yirgachefe; Yergacheffe), the administrative centre of Wenago-Werda and the second major town of Gedeo Zone, is located about 20 km south of Dilla along the highway of Addis Ababa to Moyale Kenya at an elevation that ranges from 1,880 and 1,919 meters above sea level.

“Yergacheffe Coffee “, the world’s finest coffee is growing at such high altitude. Visitors usually make a stopover in Yirgacheffe to taste the delicious and flavoured coffee in the suitable hotels and restaurants available in the town. Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmer Cooperatives union is an umbrella organization of 23 primary cooperatives. There are 44000 member farmers organized under these primary cooperatives are beneficiaries of the export price, which is the result of the activities of the union. The union exports high quality premium Arabica organic coffee.

The zone is a perfect place for Eco and sustainable tourism with its picturesque

landscape, splendid and forested environment. The Administration has

made the necessary preparation for Ecotourism development in the zone as part of the ongoing of the five years Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP). Why not you contact the Gedeo Zone Investment Bureau for the opportunities?

The Gedeo Zone Administration is prepared to celebrate first ever for the

country, Green Tourism and coffee beans harvesting festival for a week. The event will

include visit in the tropical rain forest of Gedeo Zone, tour in the coffee farming route and participation in the hand picking of coffee beans collection, historical stelaes site visit, combined with musical festival. It is really the right time to be in Gedeo.

Do come to partake in the first edition of Green Gedeo Festival in October 2011.

Green Gedeo

For further information contact:

Gedeo Zone State Communication and Culture & Tourism department:

Telephone +251463313088/ +251463312506

Organizers:

Hager Media Communications and Visit 2 Ethiopia Tourism Marketing and Promotions

Telephone:

+251.911.14.49.64, +251.911.92.56.82, +251.921.77.95.93, +251.911.30.89.11


Documents

Visit 2 Ethiopia 2011 summer