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Palace of Abba Jiffar
Looking more out of America’s Wild West than the Kafa kingdom, the increasingly fragile Palace of Abba Jiffar looks as if a strong wind could blow it away. It sits atop a hill 7km northeast of the town centre, near the village of Jiren , and has views back down over Jimma that are
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Bet Gabriel
Its entrance flanked to the west by a sloping sliver of hewn rock known as the ‘Way to Heaven’, this imposing twin-church marks the main entrance to the southeastern group. Unlike most Lalibela churches its entrance is at the top and it’s accessed by a small walkway, high over the
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Lake Hora
Less developed than Lake Bishoftu, though probably not for much longer, Lake Hora lies just north of the town centre and has some outstanding birdlife . The Hora Recreation Centre can get a bit noisy at weekends, but it’s easy enough to escape the crowds: just follow the footpath a
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Bete Maryam Mausoleum
Also known as Menelik’s Mausoleum, the Bete Maryam Mausoleum is located just south of Menelik’s palace and offers an enchantingly eerie experience for travellers. After the priest has rolled up the carpet and pried open the large metal door in the floor, you will descend into the t
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Bet Medhane Alem
Resembling a massive Greek temple more than a traditional Ethiopian church, Bet Medhane Alem (House of the Saviour of the World) is impressive for its size and majesty. Said to be the largest rock-hewn church in the world, it measures 33.5m by 23.5m and is over 11.5m high. Some sch
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Hyena Feeding Sites
As night falls (beginning around 7pm), two sets of ‘hyena men’ set themselves up just outside the city walls: one at the shrine of Sheikh Aw Anser along the eastern wall and the other north of Fallana Gate by the Christian slaughterhouse.The first sight of Africa’s second-largest p
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Wondo Genet
The name of this hot springs resort 16km southeast of Shashemene translates as ‘Green Heaven’, which was more applicable before the hills were cleared of most of their forest. The only lodging is the Wabe Shebelle Hotel , which sits in flowering gardens, but its run-down rooms make
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Sor River Waterfalls
A worthwhile excursion from Metu is to the Sor River Waterfalls, one of the most beautiful falls in Ethiopia. It lies close to the village of Bechu , 13km southeast of Metu. The last 15 minutes of the one-hour walk (5km) from Bechu takes you through dense forest teeming with birds
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Mikael Debre Selam
This church or ‘church within a church’ has an exceptional brown-and-white, Aksumite-style facade fronting its inner rock-hewn section. The bright, modern paintings at the front and its beautiful carved arch add an odd but interesting contrast. The setting is lovely and it’s one of
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Abba Yohanni
Impressively located halfway up a 300m-high sheer cliff face, this church is reached by a 15-minute climb using steps, tunnels and little bridges. The crooked carving and large cracks make the three-aisled, four-bayed interior as fascinating as the facade and the bright afternoon l
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Crocodile Market
Where the Kulfo River empties into Lake Chamo you’ll find oodles of crocodiles sunning themselves. Both the size of the congregation and the size of the crocs (6m is common) makes this one of Africa’s best crocodile displays. There are also plenty of hippos, fish eagles and shore b
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Bet Merkorios
Reached via a series of trenches and tunnels (one is long, narrow and pitch-black) that starts from Bet Gabriel- Rufael, this church may have started as something altogether different. The discovery of ankle shackles among other objects has led scholars to believe it may have serve
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Abba Pentalewon
High above Aksum, on top of a tall, narrow peak, is Abba Pentalewon Monastery. Tradition states it was built by Abba Pentalewon, one of the Nine Saints and a man who is said to have prayed nonstop for 40 years, and that this is where King Kaleb retired to after abdicating his thron
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Lion of Judah Monument
Long the symbol of Ethiopia’s monarchy, the Lion of Judah is ubiquitous throughout the country. Although images of the almighty animal abound in Addis Ababa, it’s the storied history of the Lion of Judah Monument that makes this statue significant.After being erected on the eve of
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Wolleka (Falasha Village)
Just 3km north of Gonder, several craft stalls with ‘Stars of David’ and ‘’ signs signal what’s really the former Falasha village of Wolleka. Once the home to a thriving population of Falashas (Ethiopian Jews), most were airlifted to Israel in the 1980s and today none remain. There
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Aksum
Sprawling, dusty, and rural - Aksum is modest almost to a fault. On first sight, its hard to imagine that the town was ever the site of a great civilisation. Yet Aksum is one of Ethiopias star attractions. Littered with massive teetering stelae, ruins of palaces, underground tombs
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Merkato
Wading into the market chaos known as Merkato, just west of the centre, can be as rewarding as it is exasperating. You may find the most eloquent aroma wafting from precious incense. You may also find that your wallet has been stolen and that you’ve got stinky excrement on your sho
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Rastafarian Community
Shashemene’s Rastafarian community, known locally as Jamaica, straddles the main road just north of town. It’s readily distinguished by its tri-coloured buildings, dread-locked inhabitants and rounded vowels of Caribbean English. A shared bajaj from the bus station costs Birr2, or
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Gobodura Hill
A site known as Wuchate Golo is one of the four ancient quarries of Aksum, the birthplace of the famous stelae. Several stelae (all unmarked) were almost completely freed from the rock, but then abandoned. Mystery still surrounds the exact tools that were used by the master craftsm
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Yemrehanna Kristos
Despite Yemrehanna Kristos being one of Ethiopia’s best-preserved late-Aksumite buildings, few people reward themselves with a visit. And a reward it is.The church is different because it’s built rather than excavated. Seeing the stepped exterior facade, created from alternating wo
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