The History

Axum

is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century. The kingdom was also arbitrarily identified as Abyssinia in medieval writings.

Axum was the center of the marine trading power known as the Aksumite Kingdom, which predated the earliest mentions in Roman era writings. Around AD 356, its ruler was converted to Christianity by Frumentius

The kingdom of Aksum had its own written language called Ge'ez, and also developed a distinctive architecture exemplified by giant obelisks, the oldest of which (though much smaller) date from 5000–2000 BC.[2] This kingdom was at its height under king Ezana, baptized as Abreha, in the 4th century AD (which was also when it officially embraced Christianity).

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims that the Church of “Our Lady Mary of Zion” in Axum houses the Biblical Ark of the Covenant. In which lie the tablets of Law upon which the Ten Commandments are inscribed.

Gondar

is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. Located in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Tana Lake on the Lesser Angereb River and southwest of the Simien Mountains.

Gondar was founded by Emperor Fasilides around the year 1635, and grew as an agricultural and market town.. Until the 16th century, the Solomonic Emperors of Ethiopia usually had no fixed capital, instead living in temporary royal camps as they moved around their realms with their entourage

Today, Gondar is a popular tourist attraction for its many picturesque ruins in the Royal Enclosure, from which the Emperors once reigned. The sites within the city lie in the Royal Enclosure, which include Fasilides castle, Iyasu's Palace, Dawit's Hall, a royal banqueting hall, stables, Mentewab's Castle, a chancellery, library and historic churches. Near the city lie Fasilides' Bath, home to an annual ceremony where it is blessed and then opened for bathing; the Qusquam complex, built by Empress Mentewab; the eighteenth century Ras Mikael Sehul's Palace and the Debre Berhan Selassie Church

Lalibela

is a town in northern Ethiopia, known for its monolithic churches. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Axum, and is a center of pilgrimage for much of the country. The population of Lalibela is almost completely Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. The layout and names of the major buildings in Lalibela are widely accepted to be a symbolic representation of Jerusalem by the clergy.[1] This has led some experts to date the current form of its famous churches to the years following the capture of Jerusalem in 1187 by the Muslim leader Saladin.

Located in the Semien Wollo Zone of the Amhara ethnic division, or kilil at 2,500 meters above sea level, Lalibela has a latitude and longitude of 12°02'N 39°02'E

This rural town is known around the world for its churches carved from the living rock, which play an important part in the history of rock-cut architecture. Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the reign of King Lalibela, namely during the 12th and 13th centuries. There are 13 churches, assembled in four groups.