African News

Greener town in central Ethiopia, Ankober found in the Semien Shewa of the Amhara regional state. The beautiful town used to be the capital city of the Shewa kingdom during the time of Emperor Menelik. It remained to be the capital city until 1886 before Addis Ababa made the central government sit. Ankober the eastern fringes of the Ethiopian highlands portray a historical and exceptional landscape that will take your breath away. It was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Shoa, founded by Merid Azmatch Amha Iyesus, a ruler descended from the Solomonic dynasty king of Jerusalem. His descendents continue to rule Ankober for around a hundred years leaving remarkable legacies. The stunning hilltop encloses Menelik the second longstanding palace. During the reign of the Emperor, Britain, F...

Lalibela is one of the UNESCO-registered heritage sites with cave churches from the 13th century. It is situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia near a traditional village with circular-shaped dwellings. The place of pilgrimage and devotion Lalibela has eleven ancient churches carved out of gigantic rocks.  Most of the constructions were churches while a few were considered to be mansions of royal families. The famous cross shaped Biete Giorgis cut 40 feet down on the ground is the spectacle of the place. The buildings are masterpieces of King Lalibela who was determined to erect the "New Jerusalem" in the land of Africa. The clergies of the churches clad in "Gabi", a white traditional long scarf are another source of attraction to the place. Their life is entirely based i...

Ethiopia, the second most populated nation offers a wide range of great organic and healthy cuisines. In fact, it is often described as the land of bread, honey, and grains which make up the  diet of its people. The long history of the country influenced by over 80 ethnic groups resulted in a culinary variety of blended indigenous ingredients. The dishes consist of vegetables and meat served in a form of thick stew. The country has its own unique breakfast, lunch and dinner yummy specialties. The main components for the breakfast include fitfit (shredded injera mixed with stew), kinche (crushed grains), chechebsa (thin flat bread with traditional spice and stew), genfo (porridge), fetira (fried thin bread mixed with eggs and honey), bulla (powdered plant root porridge) and fule (bean ste...

UNESCO registered world site, Lower Awash Valley earned its global fame for several anthropological discoveries which date million years back. Situated 300 km in northeast of Addis-Ababa, near Afar depression Awash valley is one of the most important global heritage sites. The most spectacular finding came in 1974 when 52 bone fragments were reconstructed to create "Lucy". Lucy stood about one meter tall weighing up to 30kg. There were several indicators which predicted her age as young but fully matured adult when she died. Her remains are now kept at the National Museum at the capital city. This finding influenced the perception of human evolution changing the history of mankind. Several anthropological wealth and ancient tools still await discovery and scientific study. The ...

Konso is one of the UNESCO-designated heritage sites for its outstanding landscape and terraced agriculture. It constitutes a spectacular portrait of tradition which has been in existence for four centuries. It demonstrates the engineering skill of the society and features the waga (wooden statutes) as a reminder of late family members, war heroes and respected members of the community. The statues are placed above the graves representing the deceased wives and conquered enemies. The spaces inside the walled towns, called moras, (basalt) retain an important and central role in the life of the society. Wakas (sculptures) are erected to commemorate and mark the transfer of responsibility from the older generation to the younger. Konso people are named among the last sculpture-erecting gen...