List of World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia
Aksum
Axum was the capital of the important eponymous kingdom that was located at the crossroads between Africa, Asia, and the Greco-Roman world in the first millennium. The kingdom controlled the trade routes of the Red Sea and with North Africa. It converted to Christianity in the 4th century. The ruins of the city feature delicately carved stelae dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries (the Obelisk of Axum pictured), royal tombs, churches, and stone tablets with multilingual inscriptions
Fasil Ghebbi
The Ethiopian Empire had no fixed capital until Emperor Fasilides settled in Gondar in 1636. The palace complex served as the residence of the monarchs until 1864. It comprises the royal castle (pictured), several palaces, churches, monasteries, and other buildings. The architectural style was influenced by Hindu and Arab architecture and later remodelled in the European Baroque style brought by Jesuit missionaries
Gedeo Cultural Landscape
The cultural landscape was shaped by the Gedeo people who continue to live in line with their traditions and beliefs. They grow coffee, enset, and other food crops, and practice sustainable agroforestry. Traditional system of land use regulations has allowed for a high population density while maintaining the biodiversity of the area. There are numerous megalithic ritual monuments, either stelae or in phallic form (pictured)
Harar Jugol,
The city of Harar is a sacred Muslim city with numerous mosques and shrines, some dating to the 10th century. The city walls (pictured) were built between the 13th and 16th centuries while the present-day urban layout dates to the 16th century. The architecture of the houses is different from that of Muslim countries but shows the influence of the coastal Arab style. The interiors are richly decorated. The arrival of Indian merchants in the late 19th century brought a new style, houses with wooden verandas.
Konso Cultural Landscape
The Konso people have lived in the area for more than 400 years. To combat the harsh and dry environment in the highlands, they have created terraces for agriculture, as well as stonewalls and fortified villages for listtection, resulting in a unique cultural landscape. The people maintain their traditions, including carving wooden anthropomorphic sculptures as grave markers, and are one of the last societies in the world that continue the practice of erecting stelae. A scene from a village is pictured.
Lower Valley of the Awash
The area of the lower Awash River is one of the most important archaeological sites in the study of human evolution. It was occupied by early hominids for millions of years and well preserved fossils have been discovered here. Among the most important finds are the remains of the Australopithecus afarensis Lucy, discovered in 1974 and dating back 3.2 million years (skeleton cast pictured) and the Ardipithecus ramidus Ardi, which is 4.4 million years old
Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela
Eleven churches were hewn from monolithic blocks in the 13th century, under the king Gebre Meskel Lalibela, to substitute for places in the Holy Land at a time when the pilgrimages there were not possible. They had an important influence on the Ethiopian Church and are still in use, even if they have been damaged through centuries. Several churches have interior walls decorated by murals. A village with traditional houses is situated nearby. The Church of Saint George is pictured
Simien National Park
Through millions of years, erosion has shaped the Ethiopian plateau into a landscape of jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys, and sharp precipices. The area is a biodiversity hotspot and home to threatened species including the Walia Ibex, gelada, and Ethiopian wolf. Between 1996 and 2017, the site was listed as endangered because of the impact of a new road across the listperty, excessive cattle grazing, agricultural encroachment, and a drop in the number of populations of large mammals.
Tiya
Tiya is the most representative of several prehistoric megalithic sites in the Soddo region. In Tiya, there are 36 stelae, 33 of which are aligned along an axis of 45 m (148 ft). Most of the stelae are carved with symbols, some of which resemble swords. As tombs have been discovered nearby, the stelae are interpreted to have funerary significance. The age of the site has not yet been precisely determined
Endemic Birds of Ethiopia
BARE-FACED GO-AWAY-BIRD
The bare-faced go-away-bird (Crinifer personatus ) is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae which is native to the eastern Afrotropics. It is named for its distinctive and uniquely bare, black face.
STRESEMANN'S BUSHCROW
Stresemann's bushcrow (Zavattariornis stresemanni ), also known as the Abyssinian pie, bush crow, Ethiopian bushcrow, or by its generic name Zavattariornis, is a rather starling-like bird, which is currently thought to be member of the crow family, Corvidae, though this is uncertain. It is slightly larger than the North American blue jay and is a bluish-grey in overall colour which becomes almost white on the forehead.
MOORLAND FRANCOLIN
The moorland francolin (Scleroptila psilolaema ) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is endemic to Ethiopia.
BLUE-WINGED GOOSE
The blue-winged goose (Cyanochen cyanoptera ) is a waterfowl species which is endemic to Ethiopia. It is the only member of the genus Cyanochen.
SPOT-BREASTED LAPWING
The spot-breasted lapwing (Vanellus melanocephalus ) is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It is endemic to the Ethiopian highlands.A chunky lapwing of the Ethiopian highlands. Note the black cap, white eyebrow, black throat, and coarse spots across the breast. Found in both wet and dry montane habitats, including grassland, moorland, and marsh
ABYSSINIAN LONGCLAW
The Abyssinian longclaw (Macronyx flavicollis ) is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae.It is endemic to Ethiopia.
YELLOW-FRONTED PARROT
The yellow-fronted parrot (Poicephalus flavifrons ) is a parrot endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is a mostly green with a yellow head. Relatively little is known about this bird.
RED-BILLED PYTILIA
The red-billed pytilia (Pytilia lineata ) is a species of estrildid finch found in Ethiopia. It was split from the red-winged pytilia.
SALVADORI'S SEEDEATER
The yellow-throated seedeater (Crithagra flavigula ) is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae.It is found only in Ethiopia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.It is threatened by habitat loss.The voice of the bird is a jumbled chirpy song and its call is canary like zeee-zsreee.The bird favors semi-desert areas with thick patches of scrub on rocky hill sides..
ETHIOPIAN SISKIN
The Ethiopian siskin or Abyssinian siskin (Serinus nigriceps ) is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae.It is found only in Ethiopia, usually at altitudes above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in the Ethiopian Highlands.The bird's natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude Afromontane grassland.
WHITE-TAILED SWALLOW
The white-tailed swallow (Hirundo megaensis ) is a small swallow belonging to the family Hirundinidae and is endemic to Oromia, Ethiopia. It is commonly referred to as "Benson's swallow" after the ornithologist Constatine Walter Benson, who named the species. This small bird is classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as there is a listgressive declination of the species which now consists of less than 10,000 adult individuals worldwide
RUSPOLI'S TURACO
Ruspoli's turaco (Menelikornis ruspolii ), also known as Prince Ruspoli's turaco, is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae. It is endemic to southern Ethiopia where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss
Endemic Animals of Ethiopia
ETHIOPIAN WOLF
The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is a canine native to the Ethiopian Highlands. In southeastern Ethiopia, it is also known as the Horse jackal. Unlike most large canids, which are widespread, generalist feeders, the Ethiopian wolf is a highly specialized feeder of Afroalpine rodents with very specific habitat requirements. It is one of the world's rarest canids, and Africa's most endangered carnivore.
MOUNTAIN NYALA
The mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni ) or balbok is an antelope found in high altitude woodland in a small part of central Ethiopia. It is a monotypic species (without any identified subspecies) first described by English naturalist Richard Lydekker in 1910. The males are typically 120–135 cm (47–53 in) tall while females stand 90–100 cm (35–39 in) at the shoulder. Males weigh 180–300 kg (400–660 lb) and females weigh 150–200 kg (330–440 lb).
GELADA
The gelada (Theropithecus gelada) is a species of Old World monkey found only in the Ethiopian Highlands. Like its close relatives the baboons (genus Papio), it is largely terrestrial, spending much of its time foraging in grasslands. They are the last surviving member of a grass-grazing primate group, members of which were abundant and widespread in the past.
ETHIOPIAN HIGHLAND HARE
The Ethiopian highland hare (Lepus starcki ) or Starck's hare is a medium-sized species of mammal in the rabbit and hare family, Leporidae. Its dorsal pelage is grizzled, buff white and spotted and streaked with black, while its belly fur is pure white and fluffy. It is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, ranging over the Afroalpine regions of the Shoa, Bale, and Arsi listvinces of Ethiopia. A herbivore, it mostly feeds on moorland grasses
WALIA IBEX
The walia ibex (Capra walie, Amharic: ዋልያ wālyā ) is an endangered species of ibex. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Alpine ibex. Threats against the species include habitat loss, poaching, and restricted range; only about 500 individuals survived in the mountains of Ethiopia, concentrated in the Semien Mountains, largely due to past poaching and habitat depletion
BALE MOUNTAINS VERVET