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Lost city found in Ethiopia
One of Africa's most interesting countries has just got a new site to visit.
An ancient Muslim city thought lost for a thousand years has recently been discovered. A team of French archaeologists have found the location of the medieval trading center of Gendebelo.
While Ethiopia is famous for being the second oldest Christian country in the world (after Armenia), about half of the population is Muslim and the two communities have lived side by side for centuries, sometimes peacefully, sometimes not.
Gendebelo was part of the more peaceful exchange, acting as a focus for trade between the two cultures.
The archaeologists puzzled out the location of the city with the help of an old manuscript that an earlier researcher had found in the Muslim city of Harar, where it was being used for wrapping sugar. The manuscript told the tale of a 16th century Venetian explorer who had found the ruins of Gendebelo in the desert and gave vague references to the city being "the place where mules are to be unloaded and camels take over."
That was enough for the archaeologists, who realized the explorer meant the escarpment that marks the borderland between the rough highlands and the arid Danakil Depression. It was here that merchants who used mules (the Christians) and those who used camels (the Muslims) met for mutual profit.
Gallery: Images of Ethiopia
The French team was able to pinpoint the site as being a medieval city now known as Nora. It's been abandoned for years except for the mosque, which is still used by local farmers. Legends say that in ancient times the people of Nora were so rich that on his wedding day one young man paved the road to his bride's town with injera bread. Allah grew so angry at this conspicuous consumption that he destroyed the town with a rain of ash.
The ruins of Nora are a bit out of the way for modern travel, but planned excavations will almost certainly reveal some fine remains, and the town may become a new tourist sight. In the meantime, one great Muslim center of civilization, Harar, is still very much in use. The city is in the eastern part of Ethiopia and is considered the fourth holiest sight for Muslims after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. The people of Harar are majority Muslim, but there's a large Christian population too. Both speak Harari, a Semitic language related to Arabic and Hebrew. Jews also used to live in the area, but they fled to Israel and other countries during Ethiopia's civil war in the 1980s.
Harar was founded more than a thousand years ago and is still enclosed by a city wall, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides the walls, there are three mosques dating to the tenth century, and the house of the French poet Rimbaud, who lived here when we was working as a gun runner and hanging out with the local governor, who was the father of Haile Selassie. Another weird sight is the nightly feeding of the hyenas.
Have you been to Ethiopia? Tell us about your experiences in the comments section. I'm taking my wife there for our tenth anniversary and I'm open to suggestions of places to go!
Gallery: 10 tourist destinations with a funny name
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Africa, Ethiopia
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
jj Aug 8th 2009 1:53AM
Ethiopia is not chrstian country please try to refrain from your lies.
about half muslims?
What happened to your other lie of muslims are only 33%?
regardless of you chrstians dream, Ethiopian is home and country of muslims with over 70% muslims living in the country.
Ani Aug 8th 2009 4:20PM
Perhaps you should wikipedia before you write Islam only makes up 39% of Ethiopia the rest is Christian based.
Sean McLachlan Aug 8th 2009 4:21PM
Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. Try reading books.
Sean McLachlan Aug 8th 2009 1:59AM
When did I say Muslims are only 33% of the population? Muslims are about half the population of Ethiopia, like I said. I've never seen a statistic saying Muslims are 70% of the population. Where did you get that, your own wishful thinking? Just goes to show that some people aren't happy no matter what you write. It's people like you who cause trouble between religions.
OK, I admit it, you caught me. This is all a grand conspiracy to denigrate Muslims, which is why I was saying nice things about Islamic culture.
yos Aug 8th 2009 3:21AM
Ethiopian is the country of both Muslims and Christians, we have to stand together to protect Ethiopia to live long.
Sean McLachlan Aug 8th 2009 3:22AM
Ethiopians defeated the Italians because both Christians and Muslims fought side by side. One of the reasons Ethiopia was never colonized is because they were more united than other African countries.
Jamie Aug 8th 2009 2:57PM
You people are rediculous. Who cares what the religion is. Your stupid for arguing about it. The article is about finding a new piece of history!
GG Aug 8th 2009 2:41PM
I'm very glad the Lord sent us Christ instead of a Christian.
katznmeowkatz Aug 8th 2009 7:20PM
That is for sure. We are known as Christians but the Christan Crusaders gave the term, "Christian," such a hateful and horrible name. Current day, "Christians," meaning true believers and have experienced Him, are Believers in Christ and His Peace. Once you experience Him it is very hard to understand why others cannot see.
God Bless.
Kimberley
t Aug 9th 2009 3:02AM
he didn't send us a christian.....he sent us a jew.
Ann Seymour Aug 8th 2009 2:58PM
A lost city excavated! Beyond thrilling! Archeology has always fired my mind. On my to-do list: visit the Seychelles and go on a dig somewhere. - Ann Seymour, author of "I've Always Loved You," a true story of ww2 in the Pacific
Tom Aug 8th 2009 3:45PM
Muslim or Christian there are bozos among them who are blind to all but what they've been taught since infancy, which is that anyone who doesn't think exactly the same way they do is evil.
Muslim or Christian there are bozos who will look at the teachings of their religion and believe that their particular Supreme Being's preference is that they kill and maim as many of the other as they possibly can.
Welcome to two of the "civilized world's" religions based in love.
Alfred Aug 9th 2009 3:02AM
My first time perusing and I was impressed with your comments. I look forward to visiting and learning about Ethiopia and the people living there regardless of the percentage of ethiopians or muslims. Like you, I've traveled to other countries and practically every state and enjoyed meeting so many different people and learning about their faiths. Not bad for a guy from Cincinnati, Ohio now living in New York for the past 40 yrs. I'm in my 60's and loving it! I've met so many people who have spent their whole lives hating nationalities, race and religious people ...stepped outside of the box, broke the chains and scars of past ethnic bashing and live meaningful, fulfilled lives!
Jim Fedullo Aug 8th 2009 3:46PM
I LIVED IN SAC,CA FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. BEING A 1ST BORN IN THIS COUNTRY,PARENTS FROM ITALY & CZECHOSLAVAKIA AND BEING FROM PHILADELPHIA MYSELF I ENJOY VARIOUS NATIONALITIES. I HAVE MET SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM ARMENIA & ETHIOPIA WHO HAVE BEEN SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS FOR MANY YEARS. THEIR HISTORY IS UNBELIEVABLE. WHAT SEPARATES MOST PEOPLE IS LANGUAGE & CUSTOMS, ONCE YOU LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THEM, THEY ARE JUST PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I. WE ALL CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE AT ONE TIME. I HAVE BEEN IN ALL 50 STATES AND 28 COUNTRYS AND HAVE ALWAYS FOUND A WAY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS. I AM IN MY 60'S AND AGAIN WILL MAKE A NEW TRIP TO IRELAND & SCOTLAND SOON, 2 COUNTRYS THAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO. I AM A COIN COLLECTOR WHO HAS ALWAYS WONDERED WHERE HAS COIN HAS TRAVELED THRU-OUT ITS HISTORY. PLACES AROUND THE WORLD ARE CHANGING & VANISHING. THINK OF ALL OF THE PLACES THAT YOU HAVE EVER READ ABOUT, WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO MEET SOMEONE FROM THERE? NEVER MAKE AN ENEMY WHEN YOU CAN MAKE A NEW FRIEND!!!
rbgaughan Aug 8th 2009 4:20PM
'why make an enemy when you can make a friend'. words of wisdom that we all need to practice.
Sean McLachlan Aug 9th 2009 1:26PM
Jim,
Yes, language is the big barrier. I want to learn some Amharic before I go. The trouble is finding a teacher. I'm not very good with languages, but can pick up a couple of hundred common words fairly quickly. It's amazing what you can communicate with just that.
Tom Aug 8th 2009 3:47PM
Oh, and Sean,
Are you taking your wife with you...or are you and your wife going...to Ethiopia? The phrase you chose to use tends to relegate her to baggage status, while the other indicates that the two of you will be sharing the experience together.
Sean McLachlan Aug 8th 2009 3:50PM
I'm treating her to the trip as a tenth anniversary present, which means "I'm taking her to Ethiopia" in the same sense as I took her to a concert last night. Spare me the politically correct nitpicking. It's boring and makes you look like a poseur.
jc Aug 8th 2009 9:26PM
I agree with Jamie who gives a rats === what my neighebors religion, is he is only trying to make a living for his family the same as me
d. Aug 8th 2009 3:47PM
As usual J.J. is wrong. Some people need to do a little research before they open their mouths. Ethiopia is half Muslim and half Christian.