What to visit in Gondar, short history, monuments and itinerary of the main attractions not to be missed in the ancient city nestled on the plateau in Ethiopia.
Tourist information
Gondar is the capital of the homonymous region, located about 2100 meters above sea level, on the plateau north of Lake Tana.
In the 17th century, Emperor Fasiladàs chose this simple village as the new capital of the empire, transforming it into an important center located between the caravan routes of northern and southern Ethiopia.
For over a century the city was a place where the arts, crafts and literature flourished, majestic buildings were built, magnificent churches built, beautiful gardens grew and, even if conspiracies and power intigers occurred, the city lived a very prosperous period.
The architectural heritage which has largely been preserved intact to this day, dates back to this era.
What see
The imperial citadel is very interesting, with the Fasiladàs Castle, the Iyasu Palace, the Dawit Hall, the Mentewab Castle and three churches.
About 2 kilometers north-west of the city center are the Bagni di Fasiladàs, a very beautiful place where there is a large sunken tank that is filled with water once a year on the occasion of the Timkat festival, the celebration Orthodox of Epiphany.
The Kuskuam complex, built by Empress Mentewab, is located on a hill about 3 kilometers north-west of the center and consists of various buildings, including a palace used for official receptions, the exterior of which is decorated with volcanic tuff red.
The Ras Mikael Sehulm Palace and the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie, a beautiful expression of Ethiopian art, characterized by a spectacular ceiling full of little angels.
The colonial buildings, including the Post Office building, other palaces and residential buildings are from the Italian occupation period (1936-41).
