The Camelot of Africa

Over the weekend we were able to relax and unpack bit by bit. Luckily, the water and electricity returned on Saturday morning. We also did some touring of Gonder. Emperor Fasiladas founded the new capital of Gonder in 1636, ushering in a golden age for Ethiopia. Gonder remained the seat of the empire until 1855. I won’t bore you with a history lesson so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Royal Enclosure

The Royal Enclosure, or Fasil Ghebbi, was restored with the help of UNESCO
and made a World Heritage Site in 1979

Fasiladas' Palace 

Another view of Fasilidas' Palace 

Iyasu I's Palace

Interior of Iyasu I's Palace

Yohannes' Library 

Fasiladas' Archive

House of Song

Stables on the left and Banquet Hall on the right

Interior of the Banquet Hall

Bakaffa's Palace

Fasiladas’ Bath

Fasiladas' Bath was constructed not only as a bath for the royals
but also as a place to hold religious ceremonies

Thought to be the second residence of Fasiladas

The sunken pool is larger than an Olympic-size swimming pool.
During Timkat the pool is filled with water from a nearby river,
and after a priest has blessed it, the locals dive in to replicate
Jesus' baptism. 

Amazing tree roots that have grown over the walls

Zobel's Mausolem
Zobel was Yohannes I's horse

Debre Berhan Selassie Church

The church was miraculously saved from Sudanese
Dervishes in the 1880s by a swarm of bees

Exterior of the church 

Colorful murals adorn the walls

Close view of the ceiling decorated with angels' faces

Ceremonial drums

Kuskuam

Church outside of the complex

Entrance to Kuskuam 

Empress Mentewab moved out of the Royal
Enclosure and built Kuskuam after her husband
Emperor Bakaffa passed away 

Mentewab's Private Residence

Social Hall and Lounge

View of Gonder

Down the hill from Kuskuam are tiny huts where religious
students live while training to become monks