Ethiopia
Historic Sites & Landmarks in Ethiopia
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Rock-Cut Churches
Lalibela, Ethiopia
Lalibela is a sacred city for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, and is home to 11 remarkable rock-carved churches dating from the 12th century.
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New Church of St. Mary of Zion
Axum, Ethiopia
Emperor Haile Selassie founded this new Church of St. Mary of Zion next to the old one. It was completed in 1964. Unlike the original, the new St. Mary of Zion allows entrance to women.
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Aksum Stelae Field
Axum, Ethiopia
Dating from around 300-500 AD, the famous Axum stelae probably predate the arrival of Christianity. Their purpose is almost certainly religious, but the details are not known for certain.
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Old St. Mary of Zion Church
Axum, Ethiopia
This church is the holiest shrine in Ethiopian Christianity. First built in the 4th century, the present church dates from a rebuild in 1635. Neither visitors nor women are allowed inside.
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Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant
Axum, Ethiopia
The biblical Ark of the Covenant mysteriously disappeared from Jerusalem sometime before Christ. But Ethiopians and some western theorists know exactly where it is: enshrined in this chapel in Axum.
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Palace of the Queen of Sheba
Axum, Ethiopia
These 3,000-year old ruins are believed to have been the palace of the Queen of Sheba, whom Ethiopians say bore a son with King Solomon.
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Bahar Dar
Ethiopia
Bahar Dar is the site of several lakeside, straw-hut Ethiopian Orthodox monasteries decorated with colorful Christian art and topped with ostrich eggs.
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Debre Birhan Selassie Church
Gondar, Ethiopia
Located in the historical city of Gondar, this Ethiopian Orthodox church is famed for its colorful murals in the unique Ethiopian style.