What is important about Ethiopia?

On a recent trip to Ethiopia, I formed some strong impressions of the country. In many ways, it is a truly extraordinary place.

The important thing about Ethiopia is that there is a strong feeling that this is the home of the man (sic woman). Visiting Lucy, where the oldest human remains and accepted as the missing link are housed in the Addis Adaba National Museum, was a moving and inspiring moment. She was beautifully displayed in a room when she appeared in the silt of the rift valley floor. Days later, standing at the top of the Rift Valley, looking out over a huge uninhabited expanse of valley forest, I forged a deep connection for myself both in space and time to realize that the evolution of humanity arose here. and that I was looking at an expanse of the globe that contained all of Lucy’s ancestors, and also her brothers and sisters and all their descendants who led us to where we are now.

Visiting the tribes in the Rift Valley was like stepping into a time warp. The Hammer, Oromo, Bani, Mursi, and Kanso tribes live simple lives, almost no different from those of prehistoric man. Not only do they have no electricity, gas, water, or even candles, they live practically without any modern utensils or implements. They herd goats and cows as a sign of status, but cultivate small plots using a hand-carved wooden plow blade behind two oxen. Entering one of its towns is like entering a living museum. Visiting them with their scarred bodies, elaborate hairstyles made from butter and red clay, masses of beads, brass and copper, tattoos and body markings and in some cases lip plates was truly fascinating. It was an extraordinary experience just watching them live their daily lives, with their sleek black bodies adorned so fantastically.

If ever there was a Garden of Eden, it must have been here, in the verdant green valley of Ethiopia, where Lucy was found buried 3.2 million years ago. Even the roads, etched through the valley, are lined with poisonous wild Adam and Eve apple trees!

What is also important about Ethiopia is that it is a deeply Christian nation. As the country’s official religion, one of only two countries known to do so, Christianity is an everyday part of life here. It is in your face like no other country I have ever visited. Although there is a 30% Muslim population, in general the main cities are dominated by Christians. Small pockets of Muslims are found in various parts of the country, but they are basically invisible in the main cities and towns. The churches are packed to overflowing every day of the week here. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church dominates and the Patriarch resides in Addis even though Axum is one of the holiest churches in all of Christendom. There is a strict adherence to the slow and the weeks I visit, the 55-day fast called Surga, which begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. Fasting is religiously adhered to and in restaurants, when available where I camped, only fasting menus are offered without meat or dairy.

The week-long visit to the north, which is commonly called the historic route, was an immersion in a unique form of Christianity and a home to many amazing civilizations, largely ignored by the West. At Bayar Dal, after visiting the headwaters of the Blue Nile and Ethiopia’s largest waterfall, I took a boat tour to Lake Tana, where more than 20 13th-century monasteries still thrive, each with its own circular roofed church. thatch that houses elaborate paintings. depicting biblical events. I wasn’t very interested in another church tour up the Ethiopian plateau at Lalibela, but decided to move on. I was wrong. As one author wrote: “If it were practically anywhere but Ethiopia, Lalibela would rightly be celebrated as one of the wonders of the world, as easily identifiable as the pyramids or sphinx of Egypt.” Why? This African Petra was carved out of volcanic rock in 700 AD 11 churches were carved out of the rock from ground level employing 40,000 freemasons and craftsmen to carve all these churches in 10 years. They all said it couldn’t be done without the hand of God. Finding one of these 30 foot underground churches just takes your breath away. These churches are considered by the cognescenti as some of the most important pilgrimage sites in all of Christendom and recognized as such as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are amazing and defy description. Like the 16th century Portuguese traveler, I cannot describe it, he wrote, “because I don’t think they will believe me if I write more.” Neither do I.

What is also important about Ethiopia is its fascinating and ubiquitous biblical nature. The myths and legends of the Queen of Sheba, King Solomon, Adam and Eve, even President John, permeate the daily life of the country. The Ark of the Covenant plays a dominant role in the mythology and rituals of Orthodox Christian life here. This ark was believed to have been built by the children of Israel to contain the tables of the law that God gave to Moses. It is believed to be located in the historic Maryam Tsion church in Axum. visit.

What is also important about Ethiopia is that it is deeply African. It is the only country in Africa that was never colonized. I stood on top of a plain in Adwa where in 1896, Italy tried to colonize the country and at the Battle of Adwa. After weeks of stalemate, the Italian king ordered his generals to go ahead and get the job done. They were so deeply defeated that they left the country humiliated. This is the first time in all of Africa that Africans defeated a European power in a major battle. Italy under Mussolini also tried to occupy Ethiopia and in 1936 it occupied parts of the country for almost five years under constant insurrection, but was firmly overthrown by the Ethiopians, supported by England, and withdrew. Haile Selassie, despite being guilty of many grievances and corruption, was a progressive leader who defended a society that supported all religions and ethnicities, and today he is considered by many Africans as one of the great modern leaders of Africa. So there is a tradition, a mythology, of a historical nation, free from foreign occupation or colonization.

So the most important thing for me about Ethiopia is that it is the hope of Africa. Despite its enormous problems as one of the poorest countries in the world and even today facing another massive famine, it remains a model of democracy, of an independent economy, of a country that has always maintained its independence and has a long history as A proud and accomplished nation with a diverse population and an astonishing history of many remarkable civilizations and with astounding artistic achievements!