- Type
- Fortress
- Location
- Amhara, Ethiopia
- Heritage
- UNESCO World Heritage List
- Coordinates
- 12.6081°, 37.4697°
History
Emperor Fasilides (Fasil) made Gondar the capital of Ethiopia in the 1630s and built the first stone castle here, with towers at its corners. His successors, among them Yohannes I, Iyasu I and Empress Mentewab, added more palaces, libraries, churches and baths, and the whole complex was enclosed by a wall with many gates. The architecture blends Aksumite traditions with Arab, Indian and European influences, the latter brought partly by Portuguese missionaries. From the 19th century Gondar declined, and its buildings were damaged during Mahdist raids and the fighting of 1941. Fasil Ghebbi was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
What to see
The grandest building is Fasilides' Castle, with crenellated walls and domed corner towers. Within the walls are the ruins of Iyasu's palace, the library of Yohannes, Empress Mentewab's complex and the old lion cages. Outside the compound lies Fasilides' Bath, a pool surrounded by a pavilion where the faithful joyfully plunge into the water each year during the Timkat festival.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q464695
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