NORTH ETHIOPIA

Gondar

Gondar ,the 17th century capital of Ethiopia,is a historic town 748 kms to the north. Founded by Emperor Fasilidas around 1635, the city is famous for its many medieval castles and the design and decoration of its churches built between 1632-1855 by the various Emperors who reigned during this period.These dramatic castles, unlike any other African buildings , display a richness in architecture that reveals the Axumite traditions as well as the influence of Arabia.

Gondar's rise to prominence under Fasilidas occurred little less than a century after Ethiopian Christendom had come close to total destruction at the hands of the Islamic warlord, Ahmed Gragn, whose forces swept in from the east in 1528.

During the time of the Portuguese travels in the Ethiopian region (1520 - 1527 CE), Gondar was but little more than a small village community of peasants and military composts. For in the 1520's it showed absolutely no sign of any advancement to come, neither from any growing form of economy nor a strategic establishment of any significance. However, by 1630 it possessed not only the thrown of the ruling family in Abyssinia, but also the renaissance culture of the liturgy and artistry, which is recognized as the beginning of its modern form in Ethiopia.

The main castle was built in the late 1630s and early 1640s on the orders of Fasilidas. The Emperor, who was greatly interested in architecture - St Mary's in Axum was another of his works - was also responsible for seven churches, a number of bridges, and a three-storey stone pavilion next to a large, sunken bathing place, rectangular in shape, which is still filled during the Timkat season with water from the nearby Qaha river.

Emperor Bakaffa left two fine castles - one attributed directly to him and one to his consort- the Empress Mentewab

Bakaffa's successor, Iyasu II, is regarded by most historians as the last of the Gondar Emperors to rule with full authority before the coming of puppet kings.

Within easy reach of Gondar lies a monastery, the ruined palace at Kusquam, and the church of Debre Berhan Selassie with its unique murals. The town itself has a lively and interesting marketplace.

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