Gonder Sights

  1. Debre Berhan Selassie

    Despite the walls of Debre Berhan Selassie hosting the most vibrant ecclesiastical artwork in the nation, it's the ceiling that captures the most visitors' imagination. Think of Mona Lisa's mysterious smile and multiply it 104 times over! Yes, each of the 104 winged Ethiopian cherubs dotting the beamed ceiling seem to have slightly different, but equally quizzical expressions.

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  2. Fasiladas' Bath

    Around 2km northwest of town centre lies Fasiladas' Bath, a shady, beautiful and historical spot attributed to both Fasiladas and Iyasu I. Until the five-year project to fully restore the complex (financed by the Norwegian government at a cost of around Br6 .4 million) is completed in 2008, we'll stop calling it peaceful too. That said, it's still worth a visit. (Note you must obtain your ticket at the Royal Enclosure before visiting.)

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  3. Kuskuam

    Although less preserved than the Royal Enclosure, this royal compound known as Kuskuam is equally captivating. It offers an impressive mix of views over the countryside, each dramatically framed by the complex's crumbling remnants. It was built in 1730 for the redoubtable Empress Mentewab, after the death of her husband (Emperor Bakaffa).

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  4. Palace of Fasiladas

    Almost completely restored with the help of Unesco, the Palace of Fasiladas is the Royal Enclosure's oldest and most impressive castle. It stands 32m tall and has a crenulated parapet and four domed towers. Made of roughly hewn stones, it's reputedly the work of an Indian architect, and shows an unusual synthesis of Indian, Portuguese, Moorish and Aksumite influences.

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  5. Palace Of Iyasu I

    To the northeast of Fasiladas' Palace is the saddle-shaped Palace Of Iyasu I. The son of Yohannes I, Iyasu I (r 1682-1706) is considered the greatest ruler of the Gonderine period. Iyasu's Palace was unusual for its vaulted ceiling. The palace used to be sumptuously decorated with gilded Venetian mirrors and chairs, and gold leaf, ivory and beautiful paintings adorning the walls. Visiting travellers described the palace as 'more beautiful than Solomon's house'.

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  7. Ras Mikael Sehul's Palace

    Although simply a smaller version of Fasiladas' palace, this place has a slightly foreboding air. Perhaps it's because it was the residence of Ras Mikael, the dictator who usurped power at the 18th-century's end, as the monarchy became increasingly impotent and ineffectual. Later, the building was used - more chillingly - as a prison during the rule of the Derg, and is said to have been the site of untold brutality and torture.

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  8. Royal Enclosure

    It's hard not to notice Gonder's impressive Royal Enclosure, with its castles and high stone walls sitting streetside. The entire 70,000-sq-metre site (also known as Fasil Ghebbi) was declared a World Heritage site by Unesco in 1979.

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  9. Wolleka

    Around 6km north of Gonder is the little village of Wolleka, once the home of a thriving population of Falashas or Ethiopian Jews. Before Christianity arrived, Judaism was the dominant religion of most of northwestern Ethiopia.

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