Ethiopian Pilgrimage

Deep in the Mountains of Africa is a religious sacred festival that honours the ark of the covenant. Ethiopia is a land locked nation in Africa and had been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. It is the only African nation never to have been colonised. Their warriors were violent and efficient. But this story is a story of faith and a pilgrimage to some of the most sacred shrines in Ethiopia. We start at Lalibela where thousands of pilgrims gather for Christmas. Ethiopia is one of the world's oldest christian nations. The pilgrimage lasts through the 12 days of the Orthodox Christmas, ending in Timkat the Ethiopian feast of the Epiphany. The pilgrims congregate at Lalibela for the start of the pilgrimage to the ancient city of Gondar.

Lalibela is a thriving Christian community and they observe a Christian liturgy that belongs to the deep biblical past. They call Lalibela the New Jerusalem. There are churches carved out of solid rock by the angels and saints, they say. The churches are a maze of tunnels turned into catacombs with the bodies of dead monks who have spent their lives praying and reading their bibles in these rock carved churches. In Ethiopia, faith is an obsession. Inside the churches they say there is the lost ark of the covenant - the box that held the ten commandments. The holy men say that the ark was brought to Ethiopia from Jerusalem.

On the first day of Christmas the pilgrims set out on their 300 kilometer journey on foot. Ethiopia has been isolated for so long because of the mountains that have kept out invaders. The pilgims trail takes them through some of the best farmland in Ethiopia. The farming methods have remained the same for thousands of years. They have no tractors or farm machinery. The pilgrimage is taken on foot so as to gain merit by effort. The countryside is very poor, but nevertheless, all guests are made welcome with coffee. They say that coffee beans were first discovered here. The first stop off after Lalibela is Bethlehem, Ethiopia. The church here was built in the 3rd century by foreigners. Behind the curtain of the alter is believed to be an object touched by moses and God and if one was to see it then flames would shoot up your nostrils. At evening the pilgrims prepare a simple meal by the campfire.

The next Destination after Bethlehem is the Tis Asat Falls on the Blue Nile. Along the way, the pilgrims cross and old Portuguese bridge. Approaching the Blue Nile the pilgrims see the Tis Asat Falls which plunges 150 feet into a chasm and spray flies everywhere. This is an awesome sight for Ethiopians who are used to drought-ravaged countryside. The Blue Nile provides 80% of the water for the Nile river. In Tis Asat village the pilgrims buy fresh produce such as potatoes , tomatoes, and onions for their meals that they have with millet bread. On the edge of the Blue Nile River they still have papyrus canoes. Hippopotami and Crocodiles inhabit the river. The Blue Nile is fed by Lake Tana, 6000 feet above sea level.

Gondar is the Ethiopian Camelot. Gondar was a kingdom in the 16th Century that weilded absolute power. The power of the Orthodox Church still reigns supreme over all the land. Gondar has the Church of Selassie which is famous for its frescoes of the 3 wise men showing the baby jesus to the world. The atmosphere is charged with intense religious fervour. The pilgrims are seeking redemption and celebrate the festival of Timkat which is the culmination of the pilgrimage. At Timkat the most sacred objects in Christendom are put on show. Resting on the priests heads are the tablets of the ten commandments. Each tablet comes from a church in Ethiopia. They are covered so that the profane will not be consumed with fire. These tablets are supposedly written by the finger of God. It is an article of faith that brings the pilgrims to Gondar.

Ethiopia Resources

Spectrum guide to Ethiopia - There are section that cover almost every aspect of Ethiopian life: places, history, geography, food, art, religion, visitors' needs, wildlife, are just a few.

Ethiopia, the Unknown Land: A Cultural and Historical Guide - a comprehensive guide to the history, culture, and art of that ancient and mythical African nation. Regions, historic sites, monuments, and various religious and cultural treasures are introduced with background histories that clarify their place and reinforce their significance in Ethiopian history and life.

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