Gondar - Culture
Gondar
is set high on the Ethiopian plateau at a height of about 2,200 metres
above sea-level. For this reason, the countryside is not perhaps at all
what a Westerner might expect of Ethiopia.
Water is hardly plentiful yet, in the rainy season, the land is richly green and the nights can be very chilly.
The
traditional Ethiopian house around Gondar is a circular 'tukul' with a
thatched roof and woven walls, often packed with mud and straw to keep out
the wind and the rain.
Floors are of compacted mud and tiny dwellings often house families of six or eight people, all striving to provide the food and warmth to survive another year.
And
yet these simple people will not only share a smile. They welcome visitors
warmly and divide their meagre portions of 'injera' with all who enter
their homes.
The centre of Gondar shows strong Italian influences in its public buildings, colour-washed in an almost Mediterranean style. The Piassa is a large open square where the life of Gondar goes on in all its variety.
The Quara Hotel sits on one side, a shadow of its former self, although still a comfortable and spacious place to go and relax away from the midday heat.
Much more a hub of life is the Ethiopia Hotel Bar on the corner of the Piassa. Here the men of the town meet to drink tea or beer and talk over the events of the day.
It is here also, on the first floor, that the relatively few and intrepid backpackers find affordable and spacious accommodation during their stay in Gondar.
Gondar is also the home of one of Ethiopia's main teaching hospitals, the Gondar Medical College.
Situated down in the valley, past the Fasiledes School and out on the road to the airport, it houses numerous students from all over Ethiopia who are learning their profession in an attractive garden site which again owes much to the brief Italian occupation.
Hidden
away behind ancient stone walls, the Royal Enclosure sits in the centre of
Gondar, just above the market area called the Arade.
The buildings were started by the Emperor Fasiledes (or just Fasil for short) early in the 17th century when Gondar became the most important city in the kingdom.
The Portuguese were the first Western explorers to visit Ethiopia in any numbers.
Perhaps they were looking for the mythical character of Prester John who ruled over this rich and sophisticated country somewhere in this area of the world.
They certainly left their mark on these ancient buildings which today are one of the chief tourist sites of Ethiopia.
Elsewhere
in the town, there are other similar buildings to be viewed through the
eucalyptus trees that are now so widespread.
About 20 minutes stroll outside Gondar, hidden behind the trees, lies an extraordinary church which was saved from destruction by the Sudanese invasions in the nineteenth century.
It is set inside fortress-like walls and shaded by many trees.
On
its roof can be seen the traditional circle of seven ostrich eggs (sadly
now reduced to six).
There is no better place to feel the atmosphere of a region than in its market and Gondar is no exception.
On a rough piece of ground below the Royal Compound, everything from gaily coloured cloths and baskets to shoes made out of worn car tyres are sold in abundance.
The air is heavy with the tang of spices, onions and incense, the latter for accompanying the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony that is the necessary sign of welcome even in a country 'tukul'.
People
and animals share the area.
Whatever
else may stay with one after a visit to Gondar, it is the people who dwell
most in the memory.
Smiling kids are everywhere, eager to talk and to share the 'farengi' experience. Many of them speak excellent English while others can say little in their attempts to communicate. Yet they all offer their friendship.
Gondar has not yet caught the malaise of 'tourist-skinning', at least no more than the odd persistent youth.
For most, it is work as usual as everyone, both young and old, as everyone concentrates on the basic chores of life to ensure food and shelter for the family.
