Eritrea & Ethiopia
November 6 - 24, 2005
Led by Dr. Mattanyah Zohar
Linked to the Ancient Near East by three thousand years of recorded history, Ethiopia and Eritrea, the fabled Land of Punt, has fired the imagination of travelers for hundreds of years. The Kingdom of Axum, traditionally founded by descendants of King Solomon and the legendary Queen of Sheba in Yemen, where much of Ethiopia’s culture originated, was one of the oldest empires of Africa. Incense, ivory and spices were traded via the ancient port of Adulis across Southern Arabia into India, Ceylon and Rome during the Classical and Early Christian periods, establishing its wealth and power as an equal to Rome and Byzantium. Later, as Axum’s power waned, a usurping dynasty was installed at Lalibela, where, in the late 12th or early 13th century, the enormous project of carving out a series of churches from the solid rock was undertaken. Finally, after several wars with Muslim states, which destroyed many of the Christian cultural monuments, descendants of the royal line recovered the kingdom and built the castles and churches of Gondar.
Untainted by colonialization, Eritrea and Ethiopia have preserved a distinct form of Orthodox Christianity. We will see its extraordinary pageantry and unique variations of church architecture, as well as traditional lifestyles in the countryside, where ancient agriculture and pastoral nomadism continue. Our tour will expose us to the enigmatic remains of the region’s great historical periods as we travel through breathtakingly beautiful mountains, the lushly cultivated islands of Lake Tana and the stark desert landscapes pierced by the bright waters of the Blue Nile. This visual feast, together with the diversity of religions, languages and tribal traditions, make Eritrea and Ethiopia intriguing and exciting places to visit.
Sunday, Monday, Days 1& 2: Asmara: Depart New York on Lufthansa Airlines, arriving into Asmara Monday evening and spend the next four nights at the centrally located Inter-Continental Hotel.
Tuesday, Day 3: ASMARA: After a morning at leisure to recover from our long flights, we wil meet of an introductory lecture. This afternoon we begin our touring at the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museums.Dinner will be at a typical countryside restaurant where we might try injera, wot and "mes," a honey wine.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wednesday, Thursday, Days 4 & 5: ASMARA: Our drive south takes us across the plain of Kohaito inhabited mainly by Saho pastoralists. Touring will be to the pre-Axumite and Axumite cities of Tokonda, Kohaito, an important link between the ancient port of Adulis and Axum, and Matara. At Cohaito we will find the remains of palaces and templesas well as an impressive dam, while Matara will introduce Axumite architrcture. On Thursday we will complete our touring in Asmara including the colorful market. Our flight to Sana'a departs late this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
FRIDAY, Day 6: SANA'A/ADDIS ABABA: We arrive into Sana'a very early this morning and transfer to the Taj Hotel. After breakfast, touring will begin with a walking tour of the Old City and Bir al Hzab. Afternoon touring includes the Archaeological Museum and the old souks. We then fly on to Addis Ababa and the luxurious Sheraton Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Saturday, Sunday, Days 7 & 8: ADDIS ABABA: We begin our touring at the University, which houses both the National Archaeological and Ethnographic Museums, and continue to St. George Cathedral and its museum and the capital built by Emperor Menelik II, including Entoto Hills and Menelik’s Palace. We will drive south of Addis Ababa to the archaeological site at Melka Kunture, where continuing excavations are uncovering exciting evidence of early man, and continue to the rock-hewn church at Adida Maryam. Lastly, in the fields outside the small village of Tiya, we will find a wonderful group of menhirs, many carved with symbols and weapons. Saturday evening Dr. Richard Pankhurst will speak with us about the social history of Ethiopia.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Days 9, 10 & 11: AXUM: We fly to Axum, Our three-night stay in Axum will be at the Yeha Hotel, situated above the town, giving us a marvelous view of the towering stelae scattered below. These great granite stelae, some decorated with doors, windows and beams to resemble multistoried palaces, rank among the largest stones ever used by man in building. These days will be spent exploring the small Archaeological Museum, Calub’s Palace, the quarry from which the stelae were carved, an area of new excavation and the tombs and other monuments that abound in the fascinating area around Axum. Our touring will include a day trip to Yeha to see the ruins of a Sabaean city reminiscent of the architecture we saw in Yemen. The so-called temple, which now encloses a church, is built of huge sandstone blocks, some of which are inscribed with Sabaean inscriptions.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily
Thursday, Friday, Day 12 & 13: GONDAR: Our full day’s drive through the Simien Mountains to Gondar will be memorable for spectacular vistas and breathtaking landscapes. We will reach Gondar in the late afternoon. Gondar, Ethiopia’s capital prior to Addis Ababa, was the site of great building of castles and churches by the emperors of the 17th and 18th centuries. On Friday we will visit the remains of these medieval complexes, as well as a small village recently inhabited by Falasha Jews. Ghion Goha Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily
Saturday, Sunday, Days 14 & 15: BAHIR DAR: We drive to new Gorgora to board a boat for a full day on Lake Tana, visiting several islands and their distinctive round churches constructed of mud, wood and reeds and decorated with colorful paintings. We disembark in Bahir Dar. Sunday we will visit the impressive Tis Isat Falls and stop near one of Haile Selassie’s palaces, where we can see the source of the Blue Nile. There will be time to relax and enjoy our lovely lakeside hotel. Tana Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily
Monday, Tuesday, Days 16 & 17: LALIBELA: A wonderful flight takes us over vast desert and mountain landscapes into Lalibela, where we will spend two days exploring the unique churches that recall the ancient Axumite architectural tradition. These buildings of varying size and shape, along with the maze of tunnels, were carved from the living rock by the kings of the Zagwe dynasty. We will also visit Ne’akuto Le’ab Church, built into the side of a cliff, and enjoy a special performance of traditional music and dance at our hotel. Roha Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily
Wednesday, Thursday, Days 18 & 19: ADDIS ABABA: We will complete our touring this morning and fly back to Addis Ababa and the Sheraton Hotel. After a full day at leisure and our farewell dinner, we depart on an evening Lufthansa Airlines flight, arriving into New York on Thursday.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner
