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Ethiopia - Historical North
Gondar: Camelot of Africa
 Once the Ethiopian capital, Gondar has been the home to emperors and warlords, courtiers and kings - and many have left their footprints behind in the form of castle-like palaces, beautiful churches and a peaceful bathing palace.
The oldest and most impressive of Gondar's imperial structures is the two-storied palace of Emperor Fasilidas, which is built of roughly hewn brown basalt stones, held together with mortar. The building's Indian architect applied a flat roof, and magnificent towers that remind the viewer of the legendary tales of Camelot.
Perhaps the finest of Gondar's churches is Debre Birhan Selassie - or 'Trinity at the Mount of Light'. The outside may look quite normal but upon entry the visitor will certainly be stunned by the beauty of the wall paintings depicting biblical events and especially the ceiling with over a hundred winged angles looking down from heaven.
Several notable Gondarine Structures are to be found outside of town. The most impressive is a well-preserved 'bathing palace'. It is filled with water once a year during Timkat (Epiphany) celebrations.
 Axum : Mysterious Monoliths
Ethiopian legend makes Axum the capital of the Queen of Sheba in the tenth century BC. According to recorded history, the town was also capital of the far-reaching Axumite Empire around the time of Christ, which dominated the vital cross roads of Africa and Asia for a thousand years.
Axum is best known for its giant obelisks, or monolithic stelae, which seem lo reach for the sky in all their glory. The largest stelae is 33 metres in length and weighs 500 tonnes, lays stretched out on the ground, having fallen at some point in the distant past. The largest perpendicular stalae stands 23 metres tall and proud with several smaller companions. All stalae are carved out of single pieces of granite and are identically decorated. One can only imagine the flow of blood, sweat and tears during the raising of these masterpieces to their magnificent stances.
In the courtyard of the 400 - year old St. Mary's Churih is a chapel where the Ethiopian faithful and others believe is the last resting place of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant.
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