Genna (or Lidet) is the Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas that is celebrated on January 7th, according to the Julian calendar used by the Ethiopians. In leap years, the celebration is shifted for one day. But not in Lalibela where Genna has a special significance. Legend has it that king Lalibela had been born on the same […]
Schlagwort: Menschen
Lasta highland (A pilgrim’s journey to Lalibela) – Das Lasta-Bergland (Pilgerfahrt nach Lalibela)
Lasta is an ancient district in the northern parts of Ethiopia’s central highland. The highland surrounds Lalibela and reaches more than 4.000 m in altitude. In lower altitudes, the people grow Teff, maize and vegetables, but the barren plateaus are dominated by barley and livestock. They breed everything up there, from goats to cattle, from […]
Tigray & Mekele
The bizarre mountain landscape of Tigray is characterised and has been formed and shaped by the sheer tectonic forces of the Rift Valley, that starts in the neighbouring Danakil depression in the east. Coming from this starting point, the Horn of Africa, and East Africa in general are breaking off the continent. West to the […]
Simien mountains – Die Simien-Berge
The Simien mountains (Semen = Amharic for north) in northwest Ethiopia, north of Gondar, is the highest part of the country, including peaks of 4.000 m or more in altitude as well as the highest mountain, Ras Dejen, with 4.533 m. That makes the Simien mountains the “Roof of Africa”. One landmark of the mountains […]
Gondar – City of palaces – Die Stadt der Paläste
The important imperial city of the 17th and the 18th centuries, Gondar, is a nice mixture of a modern-day town and its historic remains, among them the most famous palace area Gemp. Today’s Gondar has 600.000+ inhabitants and is located at 2.300 m in altitude near the Simien mountains and northeast of Lake Tana. Because […]
Tis Issat – Die Fälle des Blauen Nils – Blue Nile Falls
Southeast of Bahir Dar, the 400 m wide water masses of the Blue Nile plunge down a 45 m high cliff. Due to the construction of a waterpower station upstream, there are strong fluctuations of the water level, even though the power station became less important after the construction of another one at Beles river. […]
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