Ethiopia

 

A countless- Splendored culture

 Ethiopia, The origin of all living things, the origin of all human kind, and the origin of the first civilization; Very little is known, very little has been studied so far and a great deal more to be studied, to be excavated, and to be rediscovered.

 Ethiopia is a country of great antiquity and an amazing beauty of its cultures, landscapes, monuments, architecture, wild life and its rich and colorful history are brought to unforgettable life through. It’s rolling mountains, breath-taking landscapes, agreeable climates, endemic wildlife, diverse cultural heritages, hospitable people; artifacts…could make the nation a fascinating destination.

 Ethiopians are among the most hospitable people in the world. To attend a town fiesta is to be welcomed in every home.

Don’t travel just to see the landscape in the Ethiopian. It is true that the view in Semein & Bale Mountain and Ertalle Volcano is a majestic cone. But don’t miss meeting the southern Ethiopia peoples.

Attend a tripe fiesta with them. You not only get to know the Ethiopian, you get to know how it is to be an Ethiopia.

 

Did you know that?

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is located in the North-Eastern part of Africa commonly known as the Horn of Africa, with an area of 435,071 square miles (1,127,127 km). It has a rugged topography, with altitudes ranging from around 100m below sea level in the Danakil Depression one of the lowest points on Earth to 4,600m above sea level in the Semien Mountain Massif, the 4th highest mountain in Africa (Ras Dashen, 4543meters) and huge numbers of endemic species including the Gelada baboon and mount Nyala, Walia Ibex etc.

The country, which termed Ethiopia, or land of Burnt Faces, was subsequently also known to Homer and the Greeks. They spoke of it as a far-off country visited by the Gods, an inhabited by the “blameless” Ethiopians, who lived; it was believed, on the very edge of the world.
Ethiopia was likewise well known to the Jews of antiquity and to other readers of the Bible. They learnt that she was mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, which prophesied that she would “stretch forth her hands to God”

Traditionally we Ethiopians dated our history from Adam and Eve, and from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. We believe that this Biblical queen was a wise Ethiopian women ruler who travelled to Jerusalem to learn of the Wisdom of Solomon. Her legendary story is told in the country national epic, the Kebra Negast, or “glory of Kings” which was written in the early 14th century AD this text claims that Menelik, Sheba’s son by Solomon, who lived around a thousand BC, presided over the acquisition of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant. Which religious historians describe as mankind only remains link with God, and it is now hidden away inside a well-guarded Chapel of St.Mary of Zion in Axum.

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country. Apart from a five-year occupation by Mussolini's Italy, we never have been colonized.

Ethiopia is a land of myth and hidden secrets. More than 83 languages and 200 dialects are spoken here. This is a sacred land to Christians and Muslims alike. Mosques face Orthodox churches in villages and cities. The Muslim call to pray begins the day and is quickly followed by Christian bells. Faith is like air to Ethiopia. The strength of Ethiopians faith, regardless of its form of expression has undoubtedly been the major unifying factors in this diverse country for centuries.

Ethiopia is known as the "Haven of the First Migration or Hijra." For Muslims of the Companions and relatives of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to Ethiopia celebrates the birth of freedom of expression and beliefs, whereas, the Second Migration of the Prophet Muhammad to the Madinah celebrates the end of oppression.

Man may indeed have evolved in Ethiopia
Lucy, alias Dinknesh- Literally “you are lovely”- is the first women in Ethiopian History, indeed in the history of the world. An American- French team of physical Anthropologists lead by Donald C.Johansons found 40% of hominid skeleton in 1974. It is estimated to be at least 3.5 million years old at Hadar, Afar region and named her Lucy after the Beatles song though we Ethiopian descendants prefer to call her Dinknesh.

The fossilized Skeleton of Lucy lies at the Ethiopian National Museum in Addis Ababa, along with many other prehistoric discoveries, including Stone Age tools up to 2.5 million years’ old, and Vibrant Cave paintings

Ethiopia is the only African Country to use its own unique scripts Alphabet for its national Language Amharic. The Ethiopian Alphabet consists of 33 letters each with its own 7 characters.

Ethiopia is the country of 13 months of Sunshine.
How do we get these 13 months? They come from our use of the Julian calendar. I n our Calendar we have 12 months of 30 days each, the remain five or six days in a leap year- constitute a little month which we call “Pagume”, from a Greek word meaning “additional” this, then is the factual basis for our proud boasts of “13 months of sunshine”

The day is divided into two periods of 12 hours starting at 6:00am and at 6:00pm

The Ethiopian days starts at sunrise at six o’clock that is zero hour for Ethiopians. This way10am is 4 am and 2pm is 8am for Ethiopians. The same counting in the evening, after the Ethiopian 12, that is European 6pm.

Ethiopian Months:
Meskerem (11 September- 10 October)
Tikimt (11 October- 9 November)
Hidar (10 November- 9 December)
Tahsas (10 December- 9 January)
Tir (9 January- 7 February)
Yekatit (8 February- 9 March)
Megabit(10 March- 8 April)
Miyazya (9 April- 8 May)
Ginbot (9 May- 7 June)
Sene (8 June- 7 July)
Hamle (8 July- 7 August)
Nehase (7 August- 5 September)
Pagume (6 September- 10/11 September)

Ethiopia is the Original home of Coffee. That its use travelled from Kaffa, the province which gave coffee its name, and the place where coffee still grows in its organic way. Ethiopian coffee is unmatched for flavor and is blended in to every major coffee sold in the world.

Coffee is the best drink an Ethiopian family offers to honor guests, an the coffee ceremony is the best occasion for a get together with neighbors and friends to exchange notes or discuss what is going on in the immediate neighborhood or in the country at large like today’s global electronics media facebook and twitter.

What makes the Ethiopian coffee ceremony quite unique and interesting is that is served three times (called Abol, Tona, Bereka) in a row by adding water to kettle and boiling and serving it three times over with the only result that the coffee becomes thinner and whiter after each round of boiling. Guests are expected to stay in the same place until the coffee ceremony lasts and it is impolite to walk out in the middle of a ceremony.

· The Holy Ark of the Covenant housed in Axum?

 which religious historians describe as mankind only remaining link with God. It is now kept inside a well-guarded Chapel of St.Mary of Zion in Axum, Northern part of Ethiopia.

 

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