The Culture of Ethiopia and major attraction
· Introduction
Africa is known for the culture with
much cultural diversity. Many different cultures can be found within the
continent of Africa. Ethiopia is very well known around the world and I decided
to write about my country Ethiopia. When you think of Ethiopia (well Africa in
general), you only seem to think about the bad things that you hear and see on
TV, such as the starving children without parent’s trying to make it on their
own, adults shooting and killing for food and a place to live, and people
walking around without clothes on and no shoes to walk on. Africa has many
beautiful cultures that people take pride in, unlike us. We tend to forget the
things that have brought us to where we are today. Because Africa isn’t looked
at “as the way of living life”, it gets overlooked.
I did a little research and decided
to write a research paper. I would like to do my paper focus on Ethiopia, because
I was born and lived there until the age of 21. Ethiopia is very well known
around the world but most people they don’t know about Ethiopia’s culture,
languages, religion, festivals and events, food, music, and art based on my
experience and some information I would like to describe about those
things. Ethiopia is the only country in
Africa that has never been colonized and their people take pride in their
struggle to keep their independence. And Ethiopia is reach in Natural resources
like gold, platinum, copper, potash, and natural gas. The country is located in East Africa.
· History and language
· History and language
The Greek historian Herodotus, of the
fifth century BC, describes ancient Ethiopia in his writings, while the Bible's
Old Testament records the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem where "she
proved Solomon with hard questions". Matters clearly went further than
that because legend asserts that King Menelik - the founder of the Ethiopian
Empire - was the son of the Queen and Solomon. Ethiopia has more than 80 languages and over 200
dialects In Ethiopia, this language is Amharic, a Semitic tongue. The
Afro-Asiatic (Hamo Semitic) language group, which is includes the Semitic and
Cushitic languages of Ethiopia, developed during the eighth millennium BC
(BCE).
Amharic has long been the dominant
language, but Ethiopia itself was always a conglomeration of peoples. Today,
Ethiopia's principle ethnic groups are Oromo Amhara and Tigrea and Sidamo Tigrinya
and Orominga are widely spoken.Amharic or Amharigna is the official language of
Ethiopia although the government encourages local languages to be taught in
schools. Ethiopia has
communities of ‘falashas’, Ethiopian Jews, especially in the Gondar region in
the north. Many of these however have now departed to live in Israel, having
been airlifted out of the country with Operation Solomon and Operation Moses in
the latter part of the 20th century.
These people are pastoral and
agricultural, living mainly in central and southwestern Ethiopia. The
Shankella’s are the people in the western part of the country from the boarder
of Eritrea to Lake Turkana, which is about six percent of the population
· Religions
· Religions
The
main religions that are throughout this country are Christianity, Islamic, and
Ethiopian Orthodox. The people of Ethiopia accept their religion into their
everyday life. Somehow or someway whatever it is that they do is based on their
religion. I don’t find the way people in Ethiopia accept their religion into
their lives any different as we do here or anywhere else in the world.
Christianity is the dominant religion in Ethiopia and it has been told that,
that came about in during the fourth century. The Orthodox Church connects with
ancient Judaism in many ways for instance fasting, food restrictions,
slaughtering animals, circumcision, and the layout of churches. Islam is also a
very strong religion in this country.
· Food
Food is another part of Ethiopia culture that is very important. I
believe that based upon their religion is what they eat, and not only what they
eat but also how it’s prepared. Food that is mostly known in this culture is
fish, chicken, beef, vegetables, and beans. There is also what they call staple
grain which is known as Teff. Ethiopians use lots of spices because they
usually like their foods very hot. Something that we’d consider as very spicy
probably wouldn’t be spicy to them. The last course of a meal is often kitfo,
freshly ground raw beef. Ethiopians brew a barley beer called tella and a honey
wine called tej. Small fried cookies known as dabo kolo are a favorite snack .Other
meals eaten by this culture include Doro Alicha, a mild Ethiopian chicken dish,
Doro Wat, a spicy chicken dish, Tibs Wet a very spicy and fatty meat dish,
Injera spongy pancake bread eating with Ethiopian food, Yekik Alich’a a split
pea dish with mild sauce, Spiced Butter an herbed butter, Berbere a red-pepper
based spice mixture used in Ethiopian dishes and Ethiopian lentils.
· Holidays
Ethiopians are known for celebrating
all holidays and special days such as birthdays. They also have simple family days,
which I think is just they may just set specials days to do certain things.
Some families set days where they have movies days, and I think that something
like their simple family days. There are special marked holidays such as
festivals are Meskal and Timkat. Meskal is a two day festival that is held at
the end of the month of September celebrating the finding of the True Cross.
Timkat is held twelve days after Christmas according to the Julian calendar.
There is singing and dancing and it just a time for the people of Ethiopia to
come together to have a good time and to celebrate what they believe in.
· Art
Art is also known to be
very vital to the Ethiopian culture. In Ethiopia art can be found just about
everywhere because it means so much to the people. The art is a naïve style of
painting that can be found in every church, which makes me believe that it’s
also, has a lot to do with their religion. The almond-shaped eyes are a
particularly appealing characteristic. Church painting in Ethiopia serves a
very real purpose, with all the biblical and more localized religious stories
being portrayed clearly and simply to inform uneducated people of their
traditions and their heritage. Ethiopia's has dramatic topography has in some
measure influenced one of Africa's distinctive longstanding cultural
traditions. It is dominated by a volcanically formed mountainous plateau known
as the Ethiopian Highlands that reaches up to 4,600 meters above sea level.
There are major attractions like The Simien Mountain highlands, Afar
Depression, Erta Ale, The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, The Castles of Gondar
Axum historical and archaeological sites and also The River Nile; the longest
river in Africa, Sof Omar is one of the most spectacular and extensive
underground cave systems in the world and Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy is
called "dinknesh," where humanity evolved and the earliest evidence
of our ancestors has been discovered in Ethiopia those are major attraction in
Ethiopia.
· Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy is called
"dinknesh,"
Lucy is the common name
of AL 288-1, several hundred pieces of bone representing about 40% of the
skeleton of a female Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy is called
"dinknesh," which means the wondrous one. It was discovered in 1974
at Hadar in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia's Afar Depression. In
paleoanthropology, usually only fossil fragments are found, and only rarely are
skulls or ribs uncovered intact; thus this discovery was an astounding feat
that provided an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence. Lucy is estimated
to have lived 3.2 million years ago,[1][3] and is classified as a hominid.
Archaeologists and anthropologists continually claim that the oldest hominid
remains (Australopithecus ramidus, a new species, and 4.4 million years old)
were originally discovered here in the Afar region.
· The Simien Mountain National Park
(North Gondar Zone)
The Simien Mountain is one of the
major highlands of Africa, rising to the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Dejen
(4620m), which is the fourth highest peak in the continent. Although Simien is
in Africa and not too far from the equator, snow and ice appear on the highest
points and night temperatures often fall below zero.
The
Simien Mountains National Park has international significance because of its
biodiversity, highest number of endemic species and outstanding biophysical
features .There are major wildlife species which are either unique to the
region or to particular ecosystem within the region, as well as these species
playing major or vital ecological function. In the Simien Mountains National
Park the Gelada Baboon (Theropitcus Gelada], which is also known as 'The
Bleeding heart Baboon', Walya Ibex (CapraIbex Walie), Ethiopian Wolf (Canis
Simiensis) formerly known as the Simien Fox, klipspringer (Creatragus
Oreotragus) are found. Some of them are endemic to the national park [like
Walya Ibex and Simien Fox] whereas the others are endemic to Ethiopia.
· The
major attraction Dallol (Amharic:)
Dallol was a settlement
in the Dallol woreda of northern Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 2 of
the Afar Region in the Afar Depression, it has a latitude and longitude of
14°14′19″N 40°17′38″E with an elevation of about 130 meters below sea
level. It is the lowest sub-aerial
volcanic area on record in the world. It is an immense area of uplifted thick
salt deposits famous for being the only known volcanic area below sea level.
Dallol is renowned for its searing brine, and multi-hued pink, Dallol is easily
one of the world’s most magnificent landscapes with its enormous area of
uplifted thick salt deposits influenced by concentrated volcanic activity.
This is possibly caused
by an active volcanic system beneath numerous kilometers of evaporation salt
deposits. Dallol is thought to be the hottest place on earth, with average
annual temperatures measuring well over 30 degrees C. Dallol is easily one of
the world’s most magnificent landscapes with its enormous area of uplifted
thick salt deposits influenced by concentrated fumarolic activity. This is
possibly caused by an active volcanic system beneath numerous kilometers of
evaporation salt deposits. Dallol is thought to be the hottest place on earth,
with average annual temperatures measuring well over 30 degrees C., green, red,
yellow, gray and black salt deposits, boiling springs and minuscule geysers.
These strange structures form in an intricate interaction of solution and
recrystallization process caused by hydrothermal waters and rapid evaporation.
· Erta Ale
Another most attractive place in
Ethiopia Volcanic Activity is Erta Ale which has continued until today and it,
is internal force which changes the surface of the earth. During a volcanic
activity molten lava, gases, water Vapors, ashes and other solid materials are
thrown out to the surface. In Ethiopia in Danakil Depression, Ert Ale is one of
the few volcanoes in the world that has almost continual lava flows and spreads
over a large area. Ert Ale is the most active volcano in Ethiopia. Erta Ale
means “Smoking Mountain” in the local Afar people language; Erta Ale is found
at an altitude of 610 meters high.
· The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela
Lalibela, its rock-hewn churches
which are sometimes called the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
Physically prised from the rock in which they stand, these monolithic churches
were originally thought to have been built in the 12th century during the reign
of King Lalibela, but some have been dated back to the 10th century. There are
eleven churches, assembled in three groupings: The Northern Group: Bete Medhane
Alem, home to the Lalibela Cross and believed to be the largest monolithic
church in the world. It is linked to Bete Maryam (possibly the oldest of the
churches), Bete Golgotha (known for its arts and said to contain the tomb of
King Lalibela), the Selassie Chapel and the Tomb of Adam.
The Western Group: Bete Giyorgis, said to be
the most finely executed and best preserved church. The Eastern Group: Bete
Amanuel , Bete Merkorios, Bete Abba Libanos and Bete Gabriel-Rufael. Further
afield lay the monastery of Ashetan Maryam and Yimrehane Kristos church.
· The Castles of Gondar and other
monuments (Gondar)
The Gondar Castles is famous for its
many medieval castles and the design and decoration of its churches. The
earliest of the castles was created by Fasilidas himself and is still in such
an excellent state of repair that it is possible to climb its stats all the way
to the roof, which commands a breathtaking view over much of the city. Gondar
was founded by Emperor Fasilidas in 1635. The city was Ethiopia's capital until
the reign of the would-be reforming Emperor Tewodros II, also known as
Theodore.
During its long years as a capital
city, the settlement emerged as one of the largest and most popular cities in the
realm. It was a great centre of commerce, trading with the rich lands south of
the Blue Nile, as well as with Sudan to the west, and the Red Sea port of
Massawa to the north-east. Besides the famous palaces, visitors can inspect the
so-called "Bathing Palace of Emperor Fasilidas" which is used for the
annual Timket or Epiphany celebrations, and the abbey of the redoubtable
eighteenth century Empress Menteweb at Qwesquam, in the mountains just outside
Gondar.
· Axum
Axum historical and archaeological sites, central Tigray
(Tigray Region) Rightly famous for its obelisks, Axum was the capital of the
Axumite kingdom – once one of the four kingdoms of the world. It was also home
to the Queen of Sheba whose ruined palace and bathing pool can still be found
in and near the town. The ruins of the site spread over a large area and are
composed of tall, obelisk-like stelae of imposing height, an enormous table of
stone, vestiges of columns and royal tombs inscribed with Aksumite legends and
traditions. In the western sector of the city there are also the ruins of three
castles from the 1st century AD. Aksum inherited a culture highly influenced by
southern Arabia. The Aksumites' language, Ge'ez, was a modified version of the
southern Arabian rudiments, with admixtures of Greek and perhaps Cushitic
tongues already present in the region. Their architectural art was inherited
from southern Arabian art; some Aksumite artwork contained combinations of
Middle Eastern deities.
· The Blue Nile Falls
The River Nile, the longest river in Africa, in Ethiopia.
From Lake Tana, the Blue Nile, known locally as Abbay, have had flows from
Ethiopia to meet the White Nile in Khartoum to form the great river that gives
life to Egypt and the Sudan. It has been said that the Blue Nile contributes up
to 80% of the Nile’s flow. Nowhere is it more spectacular than when it thunders
over the Tisisat Falls near Bahar Dar. Here millions of gallons of water
cascade over the cliff face and into a gorge, creating spectacular rainbows, in
one of the most awe-inspiring displays in Africa, earning its name ‘Smoking
Water’. The Blue Nile falls can easily be reached from Bahar 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 Sof Omar Cave
Sof Omar is one of the most
spectacular and extensive underground cave systems in the world. Formed by the
Wabi River as it changed its course in the distant past and carved out a new
channel through limestone foothills, the Sof Omar systems is an extraordinary
natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty. The cave which is now an important
Islamic Shrine was named after the saintly Sheikh Sof Omar who took refuge here
many centuries ago. The cave has a religious history that predates the arrival
of the Muslims in Bale – a history calculated in thousands of years in
Ethiopia.
I hope after reading this paper you have
a better knowledge about my country Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a country with has a lot
of attractions and
cultural diversity. Ethiopia has tourist destinations registered by UNESCO World
Heritage. place, natures,
some architecture building and culture Ethiopia has a beautiful culture filled
with richness in art, language, religion, and ethnicity. Ethiopia is just about the only country in Africa
that has never been colonized and their people take pride in their struggle to
keep their independence.
• Works Cited
Hance, w. A. (1975). The Geography of modern Afirica. New
York and london : Columbia University
Gish, Steve, Thay,
Winne, and Latif, Zawiah. Ethiopia. Benchmark Books, NY.: 2 edition, April 15, 2007
Africaguide. The Africa Guide.
Marcus, H. G. (1995 ). A History of Ethiopia. California :
University of California pr,
http://www.africaguide.com/country/ethiopia/
Childs, Celin. The Beauty of Ethiopian Culture.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/14904
http://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/tourism/contents/attractions.htm
http://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/tourism/contents/attractions.htm
http://dragonicum.com/page=DragonicumTourism_Marvelous_Etiophia_Tours
http://si
http://dragonicum.com/page=DragonicumTourism_Marvelous_Etiophia_Toursmientours.com/the-simien-mountains/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g293790-Ethiopia-Vacations.html
http://www.awazetours.com/?gclid=CIecw5Wsq7sCFVBgMgodZGcAYw
http://www.awazetours.com/Visit-Ethiopia/Axum/index.html
http://www.awazetours.com/Visit-Ethiopia/Gonder/index.html
