Gondar is a royal and ancient historical city in Ethiopia. It was the home of many Emperors and Princesses who led the country from the 16th century to the last decade of the 18th century. It is also near the highest mountain in Ethiopia, Ras Dashen, and the Simien Mountains National Park.
The city of Gondar Nestled in the foothills of the Simien Mountains in northwestern Ethiopia, Gondar became the capital during the reign of Emperor Fasilidas (1632-1667), who built the first of a number of castle-like palaces to be found here. He established a tradition that was followed by most of his successors, whose buildings greatly enhanced the city’s grandeur.
In its day, the city was an important administrative, commercial, religious, and cultural center. It was famous for its sophisticated aristocratic life, its church scholarship, and its extensive trade, which took its merchants to Sudan and the port of Massawa, as well as to the rich lands south of the Blue Nile. Gondar was also noted for the skill of its many craftsmen.
The city retained its pre-eminence until the middle of the nineteenth century, when Emperor Tewodros II moved his seat of Government to Debre Tabor and later to Mekdela. As a result, Gondar greatly declined in importance and was subsequently looted in the 1880s by the Sudanese Dervishes. By the early twentieth century, the city was a mere shadow of its former self. More recently, its appearance was not aided by the fact that several historic buildings were damaged by British bombs during Ethiopia’s liberation campaign of 1941. Most of Gondar’s famous castles and other imperial buildings nevertheless survived the ravages of time and together constitute one of Ethiopia’s most fascinating antiquities.
Nowadays, Gondar is a lively university town with a pleasant town center which was built by the Italians and is still called Piazza. The town is famous for its azmaris (praise singers) playing their masinkos (one-string violin-like instrument). It makes for a nice evening out to see them performing in one of the Azmari Bets.
The small village of Wolleka, just north of Gondar, is a small remainder of the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) community whose origin is not known, but it is believed their story is connected to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
