Ethiopia’s 'New Jerusalem'

Ethiopia, the oldest independent country in Africa, has a magnificent history; one that encompasses legend and tradition, mystery and fact from a powerful and religious ancient civilisation.

The country has a national heritage dating back to the first century AD, as well as famous and fascinating historic places such as Lalibela, Gondar, Deber Damo and Bahar Dar, scattered across the country which attract thousands of tourists from various parts of the world.

A group of journalists and travel & tour agents from Ghana had the opportunity to visit some of the historic sites that have become the world's most renowned tourist attractions.

This was made possible by the kind sponsorship of Ethiopian Airlines, the largest African airline.

The group made their first visit to the famous eleven churches, otherwise known as the 'New Jerusalem'.

These churches were built by King Lalibela, who is considered a saint by the Ethiopian Church, as an alternate pilgrimage site to the Holy Land for Coptic Christians.

Visitors to this place are often left spellbound by the creativity of such an ancient civilisation—so were the journalists who saw the carefully designed and laid-out buildings.

The journalists and travel agents at the Kotoka Airport

The Eighth Wonder of the World
The eleven medieval monolithic cave churches of the 12th century, also known as 'New Jerusalem', have been adjudged the eighth wonder of the world for their magnificence.

They are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, which is some 645km from Addis Ababa, near a traditional village with circular-shaped dwellings.

They are credited to King Lalibela who set out to construct in the 12th century, a 'New Jerusalem' after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land.

The churches were not constructed in a traditional way but rather they were hewn from the living rock of monolithic blocks.

These blocks were further chiselled out, forming doors, windows, columns, various floors and roofs of the churches, which, till today, still stand strong.

It is believed that during the construction of the churches, angels joined the labourers at night and doubled the amount of work which the men did during the hours of daylight.

In addition to this gigantic work, an extensive system of drainage ditches, trenches and ceremonial passages, some with openings to hermit caves and catacombs, was built.

All the eleven churches represent a unique artistic achievement in their execution, size, the variety and boldness of their form.

In one of the eleven churches, called Biet Golgotha, are replicas of the tombs of Christ, Adam, and the crib of the Nativity.

These exceptional churches have been the focus of pilgrimages for Coptic Christians since the 12th century.

The holy city of Lalibela became a substitute for the holy places of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and as such has had considerable influence on Ethiopian Christianity.

Even though the town sits 2,800 meters above sea level, the faithful, including those who are blind or have disabilities, go on pilgrimage for days on foot up windy, mountainous roads to get to the site.

Authenticity
The rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela are still preserved in their natural settings. The association of the rock-hewn churches and the traditional circular houses in the surrounding area still provide evidences of the ancient village layout.

The site still serves its original purpose as a pilgrimage centre and provides evidence of the continuity of social practices. The intangible heritages associated with church practices are still preserved.

The rock churches, although connected to one another by maze-like tunnels, are physically separated by a small river which the Ethiopians named the Jordan.

Churches on one side of the Jordan represent the earthly Jerusalem; whereas those on the other side represent the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of jewels and golden sidewalks alluded to in the Bible.

In 1978, the structures became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five years ago, UNESCO erected protective coverings to shield the buildings from the elements and further erosion.

The churches, according to the Ethiopian authorities, bring tourists and pilgrims from different countries across the world.

They said the visits of the tourists have had a positive effect on the town and the country as a whole, as they rake in a lot of revenue for the country.

Meanwhile Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa, has expressed its willingness to offer discount to organisations or groups of Ghanaians who would want to visit the historic and famous tourist sites in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Airlines opened its facility in Addis Ababa to the journalists and travel & tour agents to acquaint themselves with the operations of the airline.

They visited the Ethiopian Aviation Academy which trains students from all over the world in aircraft maintenance, cabin crew, marketing and sales, and management and finance.

Ethiopian Airlines now flies to 84 international destinations in Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. The airline also flies to 20 domestic destinations within Ethiopia.

In addition, the Ethiopian Cargo airlifts 200,000 tons of cargo annually and flies to 24 freighter destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe using eight dedicated freighters including B777-200 LRF, the MD-11F aircraft and B757F.

By 2025, Ethiopian Cargo plans to airlift over 800,000 tons per year by expanding its operations to 37 freighter destinations across five continents using 20 dedicated cargo aircraft.

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By Cephas Larbi