“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
-Anonymous
ETHIOPIA
DESTINATIONS TO ROOT FOR !
Fasil Ghebbi
Fasil Ghebbi (Royal Enclosure) is the remains of a fortress-city within Gondar, Ethiopia. It was founded in the 17th and 18th centuries by Emperor Fasilides (Fasil) and was the home of Ethiopia's emperors. Its unique architecture shows diverse influences including Nubian styles. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The complex of buildings includes Fasilides' castle, Iyasu I's palace, Dawit III's Hall, a banqueting hall, stables, Empress Mentewab's castle, a chancellery, library and three churches: Asasame Qeddus Mikael, Elfign Giyorgis and Gemjabet Mariyam.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Holy Trinity Cathedral is the highest ranking Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was built to commemorate Ethiopia's liberation from Italian occupation and is the second most important place of worship in Ethiopia, after the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum. The tombs of the Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen Asfaw, as well as other members of the Imperial Family, are inside Holy Trinity Cathedral. The late Patriarchs, Abune Tekle Haimanot and Abune Paulos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, are buried in the churchyard, as is the famous British suffragette and anti-fascist activist Sylvia Pankhurst. The late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and other prominent Ethiopian are also buried there.
Lake tana
Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. The lake is approximately 84 kilometers long and 66 kilometers wide, with a maximum depth of 15 meters and an elevation of 1,788 meters. Lake Tana is fed by the Lesser Abay, Reb and Gumara rivers. The lake level has been regulated since the construction of the control weir where the lake discharges into the Blue Nile. This controls the flow to the Blue Nile Falls (Tis Abbai) and hydro-power station.
St. George Church
The Church of St. George is one of eleven rock-hewn monolithic churches in Lalibela, a city in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Originally named Roha (Warwar), the historical and religious site was named Lalibela after the King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned its construction. He is regarded as a saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
MUST TRY DISHES !
Injera
Injera is an East African sourdough-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Kitfo
Kitfo consists of minced raw beef, marinated in mitmita (a chili powder-based spice blend) and niter kibbeh (a clarified butter infused with herbs and spices). Kitfo is often served alongside—sometimes mixed with—a mild cheese called ayibe or cooked greens known as gomen. In many parts of Ethiopia, kitfo is served with injera, a flatbread made from teff, although in traditional Gurage cuisine, one would use kocho, a thick flatbread made from the ensete plant. An ensete leaf may be used as a garnish.
Tibs
Meat along with vegetables are sautéed to make tibs. Tibs is served in a variety of manners, and can range from hot to mild or contain little to no vegetables. There are many variations of the delicacy, depending on type, size or shape of the cuts of meat used.