The Land of Origins :

Ethiopia is a land full of mysteries in palaeontology & geology, in its ever changing topographical view, in the diversity of its animal and plant life and in its tumultuous national history. Its rich variety of cultures and historical traditions are indeed highly remarkable and are the few reasons for many to be drawn for a visit.

Ethiopia is located in the northeastern part of Africa, popularly known as the Horn: – bounded on the East by Djibouti and Somalia, on the South by Kenya, on the West by South Sudan & the Sudan and on the North and Northeast by Eritrea.

Lying between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, its area is 1,133,882 square Kilometers. As such, Ethiopia is as large as three times Germany or France and Spain combined. Most part of the Ethiopian landscape is elevated volcanic plateau rising from 2100 – 4400 meters. This decreases towards the country’s borders. The Great Rift Valley traverses the Danakil desert, which contains the lowest and hottest settlement on the planet. It then extends to the southwest of Ethiopia and further south as far as Mozambique. The dramatically contrasting landscape of Ethiopia indeed captivates any visitor.

According to most recent discovery, the earliest hominids are supposed to have evolved in the north-eastern part of the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia: Lucy, 3.4 million & Ardi 4.4 million years old. These are the most distant hominids discovered so far, found at Hadar in the Awash Valley.

Ethiopia is again home to coffee that has quickly taken its natural place top on the consumer’s list of modernity since its discovery.   

As a land of great physical contrasts, its various territories are scenic and awe-inspiring. The innumerable, magnificent crater lakes characterized by their aquatic life, the alarming abysses, the interweaving rivers, the enticing and graceful waterfalls, the extraordinary Savannah, the unusual wild domains and the uncommon natural phenomena in some parts of this bounteous country are mystery-shrouded and bizarre.

Currently, there is a general consensus amongst modern historians that a kingdom under the name of D’mt was established around the 8th c BC in north Ethiopia with its capital near Yeha, under which a native Ethiopian civilization flourished.

In the 1st c AD, the Axumite Empire emerged, contemporaneous with Rome, Persia & China. Axum adopted Christianity around the 4th c AD becoming the first major power to do so.  

Ge’ez, equivalent to Latin, emerged as an indigenous language with its own alphabet, supposed to have been developed from the Sabean or Himyarian alphabet and served the development of the D’mt civilization as well as the Axumite Period. Today, it serves as the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

St. Yared developed Church music using music notation in the 6th c AD in Axum.

Some of the first followers of Prophet Mohammed sought refuge in Ethiopia fleeing persecution at home. They were granted asylum by the contemporary King of Axum, King Ashama known otherwise as Annejash (Arabic adaptation of ‘The King’). While conferring unequivocal respectful position to King Ashama in the diplomatic world, this occurrence signified the historical introduction of the new religion into Ethiopia.

UNESCO has thus rightfully registered, so far, ELEVEN world Heritage Sites, placing Ethiopia at its expected forefront position in the African continent. 

The center of power shifted from Axum to Lalibela when the Zagwe dynasty took over the reign after the decline of the Axumite Empire. King Lalibela was the most successful of the Zagwe kings and had 11 Churches hewn out of living rocks to create a second “Jerusalem”. In the early 17th c., under King Faisladas, the center of power shifted again to Gondar. 

It was Emperor Menelik II who expanded & consolidated the empire to today’s size creating a new lasting power center in Addis Ababa. He had to ward off an Italian ambition to annex the country, defeating them in 1896 at the battle of Adwa. Haile Selassie, claimed to be the 225th emperor of the Solomonic line and was crowned in 1930, reigned for half a century until he was deposed by a popular revolt in 1974. The military regime, “Derg”, usurped the mass revolt & ruled Ethiopia since then until it was overthrown in 1991 by the incumbent front.

Contemporary Ethiopia is home for about a 100 million people with diversified cultures that blossom in unison creating the Ethiopian socio-economic fabric. The young mega city, Addis Ababa, is booming fast to claim its prophesized namesake, New Flower. With more and more global as well as continental offices like UNECA, AU, PACCI now condensing onto it, it would be most appropriate to call it the world capital for Africa.