Ethiopia - Africa's Oldest Nation

Home of our Earliest Ancestors with Capital Addis Ababa

Sep 7, 2007

Vibrant and diverse Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia, Africa's oldest nation, where ancient historical traditions have been preserved in remarkable ways.

Ethiopia, with its capital, Addis Ababa, doesn’t have much of a tourism reputation, but the landscape is quite wonderful, the people are welcoming and the sense of history is all around. Situated in the northern Horn of Africa, equidistant from the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, Ethiopia is the oldest nation in Africa. Ethiopia is also one of Africa's leading coffee producers.

Africa's Oldest Nation

There's some truth in the old Ethiopian Tourism Commission slogan 13 Months of Sunshine because this is a warm, friendly country. Ethiopia is also a country of great antiquity with a culture and traditions dating back more than 3,000 years. There are many tour companies and travel agents operating in and around Addis, but visitors will find that some variation of "The Historic Route"consisting of the Blue Nile Falls, Lake Tana, Gondar, Lalibela and Axum is one of the more popular tours.

Addis Ababa, Capital of Ethiopia

Like any other capital in the world, there is more than enough for anybody to do in Addis. There are numerous restaurants offering various exotic dishes; places to visit and buildings that reflect a mixture of influences from high rises to luxury hotels, right alongside traditional structures and activities.

There are many opportunities to experience Ethiopian music, song and dance, to visit museums and to see the city sights. The Horticultural Society and Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society both organize visits to local gardens and trips out into the countryside.

The Ethnographic Museum in Addis Ababa is an ideal place to start learning about Ethiopia's rich ethnic diversity. The National Museum, ranked among the most important sub-Saharan museums in Africa, is much smaller, but it does have the fossils of 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', perhaps our earliest ancestor.

Rift Valley Lakes

The seven lakes of the Rift Valley sit in a wide, fertile valley between Addis Ababa and the Kenyan border, one of the best parts of Ethiopia for bird watching. Lakes Lagano, Abiata and Shala (which sits at the bottom of a 250m (820ft) deep crater) are perhaps the most popular of the seven.

The river Nile, over 800km in length within Ethiopia and the longest river in Africa, has a beating heart in Ethiopia. Known locally as Tis Isat, the falls are over 400m (1312ft) wide and 45m (148ft) deep. The Blue Nile falls can easily be reached from Bahir Dar and the scenic beauty of the Blue Nile Gorge, 225km from Addis Ababa, can be enjoyed as part of an excursion from the capital.

The locals say that angels worked with the stonemasons carving Lalibela's churches out of solid rock. Perched at an altitude of 2630m (8629ft), Lalibela remains a very isolated place and a center of pilgrimage. Lalibela's 11 churches are cut straight from the bedrock, so their roofs are at ground level. These churches have been kept alive by generations of priests who guard their treasures of ornamented crosses, illuminated Bibles and illustrated manuscripts.

Go trekking in the spectacular Simien Mountains. The mountains are home to three of Ethiopia's larger endemic mammals: the walia ibex, the gelada baboon and the elusive Ethiopian wolf. To enjoy this beautiful landscape, travelers can arrange for a guide, mules and a tent in Debark.

Visit a few monasteries on the islands in the largest lake in Ethiopia. The monks proudly show their ancient treasures.

Axum is one of Ethiopia's star attractions. Remote, quiet, the site of ancient palaces, tombs and stelae, Axum is unique. On first sight, it's hard to imagine that the town was ever the site of a great civilization. Experience a mix of local traditions, legends, myths and fable. Around the crumbling palaces, farmers go on plowing their land, women continue to wash their clothes in the Queen of Sheba's Bath, and market goers and their donkeys hurry past the towering stelae.

The copyright of the article Ethiopia - Africa's Oldest Nation in Ethiopia Travel is owned by Karen Lotter. Permission to republish Ethiopia - Africa's Oldest Nation in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.