The earliest christian kingdom in the world, home to the (Lost) Ark of the Covenant, the only African kingdom to create it’s own language and Alphanumeric system called Geez (that made the present day Ethiopian language and Education system), the first African capitol next to Yeha, the first Ethiopian city to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the last of the great civilizations, one of the few most powerful kingdoms of the world in its time… yes, that’s Axum (also spelled as Aksum). Many books call the city the `royal throne of the kings of Zion, mother of all lands, pride of the entire universe, jewel of kings’ (Levine 1974: 111).
The political capital of Africa, the highest metropolis in Africa, sitting at 2,300 m.a.s.l, the seat of African Union, headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and numerous other continental and international organizations. The Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC) and Horn of Africa Press Institute (HAPI) are also headquartered in Addis Ababa.
Ertale is the second most active volcano in the world. Its usually referred by some as as another planet on Earth. Trekking may take from 4 to 8 days based on the route followed, the scope of visit and other climatic conditions.
Few landscapes in Africa offer a charm comparable to the labyrinthine mountain system of Tigrai. A fairy-tale charm that stems not only from the forest of rocky peaks that draw the horizons, but also by the large number of chapels, semi-caved churches, caves and caverns made sacred by hermits, hidden in the folds of the mountains. These chains of mountain ranges house more than 120 ancient rock-hewn churches.
Home to huge reserve of salt and potash, the Dallol depression or Afar Depression is the most colorful natural place on earth. Its also known for its lowest point and hottest climate.
The park is home to northernmost trans-boundary African elephant population of about 150 - 200 individuals, and 9% of the world population of Demoiselle Cranes Anthropoides virgo.
Hadar is a village in Ethiopia, on the southern edge of the Afar Triangle. The village is known for the nearby archaeological digs which have yielded some well-known hominin fossils, including "Lucy".
Situated in the Rift Valley, Awash National Park is home to a diverse range of plains wildlife and offers tremendous bird-watching opportunities, with over 400 species recorded here.
The 11 medieval monolithic cave churches of this 13th-century are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia near a traditional village with circular-shaped dwellings. Lalibela is a high place of Ethiopian Christianity, next to Aksum, still today a place of pilgrimage and devotion. Lalibela was inscribed as a world heritage in 1978.
The walled city of love is also the world's fourth holiest Muslim place with the highest concentration of mosques. In Harar, you find a mosque every 100 meters on average.
The Afar Triangle (also called the Afar Depression) is a geological depression caused by the Afar Triple Junction, which is part of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. The region has disclosed fossil specimens of the very earliest hominins, that is, the earliest of the human clade; and it is to be the cradle of the evolution of humans. The Depression overlaps the borders of Eritrea, Djibouti and the entire Afar Region of Ethiopia; and it contains the lowest point in Africa, Lake Asal, at 155 m (or 509 ft) below sea level.
It was a very critical moment. Jafar ibn Abi Taleb, the elder brother of Ali ibn Abi Taleb, who after embracing Islam escaped the prosecution of Makkans and led a delegation of over 80 emigrants to Habesha, was standing in the court of Christian King Negash to defend Islam. He had full faith in Almighty Allah and so he spoke fearlessly.
The Afar depression is the main source of raw slat to the country. It can be said the entire region contains salt lakes and rocks. Many households depend in the salt for living. Salt mined by labor is transported by caravans to the different parts of the country.
