Panoramas
EthiopiaThe city of Gondar was the imperial capital of Ethiopia in the 17th century and much of its palace architecture still survives.
EthiopiaMany of the small churches on the islands and peninsulas of Lake Tana are covered with paintings in traditional styles in brilliant, frequently freshened-up colors.
EthiopiaThe Ethiopian Orthodox monasteries scattered across the islands and peninsulas of Lake Tana in the north of the country house a wealth of historical manuscripts.
EthiopiaThe church at Lalibela, dedicated to St. George, stands apart from the others.
Holland Cotter has been in love with the African cultures since he first encountered them in college in the 1960s. And for much of his life, he has longed in particular to see two holy cities in Ethiopia: Aksum, the country's center of Orthodox Christianity, and Lalibela, a town of extraordinary churches carved from volcanic rock in the 13th century. He finally made the trip, and experienced in both places-especially Lalibela-the awe and sense of wonder that define a successful pilgrimage.
— Holland Cotter
Lalibela was conceived as a paradise on earth. And its 11 churches, cut from living volcanic rock, are literally anchored in the earth. In scale, number, and variety of form there's no architecture or sculpture quite like them anywhere. ”
It's the opposite of the face-the-altar focus of most Western Christian services, closer to the dynamic of masquerade dances in other parts of Africa, performances that effortlessly combine spiritual efficacy and spectacular entertainment. To be in the middle of this is discomfiting - What's my role? What do I do? - then a release. Just stand there. Time dissolves. There's no reason to leave. Isn't this what you came here for? ”