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WHAT MADE GONDAR CITY, ETHIOPIA, SO FAMOUS: CASTLES, CHURCHES & HISTORY!

Want to know more about history of Gondar City with its world famous castle city and churches as it served as Ethiopia's capital from the 17th to the 19th century?

History Town of Gondar, its Castles and Churches

Read all about the Town of Gondar, its castles in the Royal Enclosure, Facilides Bath, Mentewab's Palace, the Debre Birhan Selassie Church, elevation of 2133 masl, 725 km from Addis Ababa, 175 km from Bahir Dar and Lake Tana, 90km from the Simien Mountains.

Until the seventeenth century, Ethiopia had no capital, as the empire's rules moved about their territory living in tents in mobile royal camps while food being supplied by farmers around the camp. The history of Gondar as the capital of Ethiopia really begins In 1636, when Emperor Fasilides ended the tradition by decreeing Gondar to be the Ethiopia's  capital and started building a walled enclosure around his castle became the palace compound for half a dozen of different palaces 3 churches and support buildings built of two centuries by his successors.  Most famous Gondar castles of Ethiopia are located in this 7 ha walled compound, the residence of Ethiopia's government from seventeenth to the first half of the nineteenth centuries, now being part of the Gondar UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other monuments elsewhere in and around the city also belonging to this World Heritage Site are, Fasilides' Bath and the Qusquam Enclosure with Mentewab's Palace and St. Mary Church, the Debre Berhan Selassie Church, Kiddush Yohannes; the Sosinios Castle, also known as Maryam Ghemb, the Gorgora Church and the Palace of Guzara.

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The 900m long battlemented wall of the palaces compound with turrets, 12 gates and 3 bridges protected the different castles, palaces and churches as they were added by the different royalties over time. Today one finds within the premises of this curtain wall: Fasilides Castle - or Enqulal Gemb (Egg Castle, for its egg-shaped domed roofs on the towers)-, Iyasu's Castle, Dawit's Hall, Bekaffa's Banqueting Hall, stables, a sauna, Mentewab's Castle, the Library and Chancellery of Yohannes I as well as the Asasame Qeddus Mikael Church, Elfin Giyorgis church and Gemjabet Mariyam Church. Depending on the building, the architectural designs  reflect Arabian, Indian, and Baroque influences in addition to Ethiopian Axumite and Lake Tana styles and architectural traditions. With their curtain walls, huge castles with looming battlemented walls and towers, Fasil Ghebbi and Kuskuam seems like a piece of medieval Europe transplanted into Ethiopia.

By decree of Emperor Yohannes I, the people of Gondar were segregated by religion and status into different neighborhoods, which can still be recognized today; the Muslims had to live in Addis Alem; the Ethiopian Jewish people in Kayla Meda; in Abun Bet lived the clerics of the Ethiopian Church and in Qagn Bet, the nobility. In 1887, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad and the next year Sudanese invaders viciously attacked Gondar, setting fire to all the city's churches but one, Debre Berhan Selassie Church.

During the occupation by Italy from 1936 - 1943, the Italians used the Royal Enclosure, Fasil Ghebbi, as their headquarters, while developing some parts of the city for officials and colonists, which can still be recognized by the Italian design of their buildings. During the liberation by the British, several castles were bombed and severely damaged.

After its decline in the 19th century, the city of Gondar continued to be a commercial and transport hub for northwest Ethiopia. With a population of more than 200,000 inhabitants, Gondar is growing rapidly due to fast urbanization, like all other cities in Ethiopia. The majority of the inhabitants of Gondar are Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, 2% Muslims and 1.5% Protestants. The Ethiopian Jews have been airlifted to Israel in the early 1990s. The city is home to the University of Gondar, which includes Ethiopia's principle faculty of medicine. The city is serviced daily By Ethiopian Airlines with flights connecting to Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar and Axum.

Beyond the confines of the city to the north-west is another fine monument accredited to Fasiladas - a bathing palace, Fasilides Bath or Swimming Pool. The building is a two-storied battlemented building placed within a rectangular pool. Water is supplied by a canal from the nearby river. but is kept empty except during Timket, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo celebration of Epiphany. The bathing pavillion itself stands on pier arches, and contains several rooms which are reached by a stone bridge, part of which could be raised for defense.

Iyasu's most lasting achievement was the Church of Debra Berhan Selassie (Light of the Trinity), which stands surrounded by a high wall on raised ground to the north-west of the city and continues in regular use. A plain, church on the outside, the interior of Debra Berhan Selassie has beautiful colorful murals. The north wall is dominated by a depiction of the Trinity above the Crucifixion; the theme of the south wall is St Mary and that of the east wall the life of Jesus. The west wall shows major saints, with St George in red and gold on a prancing white horse.

Not long after completing this remarkable and impressive work, Iyasu went into deep depression when his favourite concubine died. He abandoned affairs of state and his son, Tekla Haimanot, declared himself Emperor and killed his father. Tekla Haimanot was in his turn murdered; his successor was forcibly removed from power and the next monarch was poisoned. The brutalities came to an end with Emperor Bakaffa, who left two fine castles, one attributed directly to him and the other to his wife, the Empress Mentewab. Bakaffa's successor, Iyasu II, is considered to have rules with the greatest authority. During his reign, work began on a whole range of new buildings outside Fasil Ghebbi, including Kuskuam, where later Mentewab would built the St. Mary Church and the Mentewab's Palace.

Facade of Fasilides' Castle within the Royal Enclosure Fasil Ghebbi in Gonder.

Stairways into Fasilides' Castle at the Royal Enclosure, Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Dining room of Fasilides' Castle, has been beautifully restored and is one of the finest quarters of Fasil Ghebbi.

Mentewab's Castle is the most in tact castle at the Royal Enclosure in Gonder.

Iyasu's Castle reportedly was more lavish than the Solomon's Palace with its inner walls decorated with ivory, Venetian mirrors, paintings of palm trees and the ceiling covered with gold-leaf and precious stones.

Yohannis I's Castle is the most modest palace within Gonder's Royal Enclosure.

Fasilides' Swimming Pool is a beautifully restored monument belonging to the Gondar UNESCO World Heritage Site.

View from the foundation of the palace of Fasilides' Bath with a Banyan tree growing along the walls of the pool.

The Mariam kuskuam church was burnt by Sudanese Muslims in 1988, and rebuilt by the Italians in the late 1930s.

Banquet Hall of Mentewab's Palace at Kuskuam, Gondar, Ethiopia was burnt down by a Sudanese invasion army in 1888.

When the Mahdist Dervishes of Sudan attacked Gondar in 1888, they burned all the churches except Debre Birhan Selassie. As the legend goes, when the soldiers got to the church, a swarm of bees attacked the soldiers, who then withdrew.

Guzara-castle, 60km south of Gondar is attributed to King Susneyos or King Sarsa Dengel. It makes part of the Gondar UNESCO heritage site. 

The interior of the Debre Birhan Selassie Church is very famous for its murals paintings and icons.

The ceiling of the Debre Berhan Selassie Church in Gondar, Ethiopia is renowned for its many icons.

While the history of Gondar City is fascinating, the city now is primarily an important tourism destination for its historical buildings, but otherwise merely a provincial town.

There are countless tuktuks, three-weeled rickshaws in Gondar. A wonderful experience is to visit Qusquam and Fasilides' Swimming Pool taking a tuktuk or bajaj as they are locally called. Even though it slows down going up the hill, it will get you there.

Daily comfortable affordable flights Addis Ababa - Bahir Dar - Historic City of Gondar with Dornier Turbo Props.

WHAT MADE GONDAR CITY SO FAMOUS? CASTLE, CHURCH & RICH HISTORY!