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ONE OR TWO DAYS FROM ADDIS ABABA; MELKA KUNTURE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE AND ADDADI MARIAM ROCK-HEWN CHURCH
Description about the destinations
ADDIS ABABA
Addis Ababa is some 100 year old – found during the reign of the infamous Ethiopian ruler Menelik the second. Addis Ababa meaning “New Flower” is the seat of the continental organization, formerly known as organization for African Unity (OAU) and now as African Union (AU) and other regional and international organizations. Addis Ababa is one of the high altitude cities of Africa. It’s as high as from 2200 – 3200mts above sea level.
Addis Ababa is a prosperous and vibrant city there are dynamic markets, numerous attractions in the city. Tourists in the city can visit forested hillsides. There are many Worlds – Class Museums at Addis Ababa that reflect the rich history of the city and also the country Ethiopia.
MELKA-KOUNTURE
It is an archaeological site, dating back to over 1.5 million years old. Which is a 50 kilo meter to the south of Addis Ababa on the bank of the Awash River? It is a remarkable prehistoric stone tool factory discovered in the 1960s which is said to have been theme of Neolithic man.
ADDADI MARIAM ROCK-HEWN CHURCH
Five kilometers away from Melka Kounture, it is only a 20-minutes drive along a gravel road to reach the historical Addadi Mariam rock-hewn church. Just at the 55 km, mark you find a small bridge. Drive slowly to the right of this bridge to arrive at the church. If you carry a camera, you have to pay Birr 50 before you enter the compound of the church. This monolithic church of Addadi Mariam has a certain resemblance to the renowned rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. You spot the church after you go down stairs. The church has several doors and windows hewed out of a single rock. The paintings on the wall of the church are appealing to the eyes.
TOUR CODE: RST/EXC2/0027
CATERGORY: One or Two Days from Addis Ababa; MELKA KUNTURE, ADADI MARIAM
TRANSPORTATION: SURFACE
TOUR DURATION: 1 DAY
DAY 1: ADDIS ABABA
Arrive Addis Ababa from your international flight; check-in to your hotel, after taking some rest you will have city tour to Addis
NATIONAL MUSEUM: This comprises of many archaeological and historical findings, including the famous complete hominid fossil remains of “Lucy” locally known as Dinknesh meaning “wonderful”.
ETHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM: It is found in the main campus of Addis Ababa University by the Institute of Ethiopian Studies with the aim to preserve the country’s historical and cultural heritages. It has a complete collection that describes almost all tribal groups in Ethiopia. Here you will have an overview about the history, culture and tradition of Ethiopian people.
SAINT GEORGE CATHEDRAL MUSEUM AND CHURCH: This octagonal church, which was built by Emperor Menilik II in 1896 in commemoration of Ethiopian victory over the Italian invaders at the Battle of Adwa. Here you will visit paintings by the Maitre Artist Afework Tekle, which decorated the interior wall, and glass window of the church and other ecclesiastical royal and cultural heritage of the past are displayed in cathedral’s small museum within the compound.
HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL CHURCH: known in Amharic as Kidist Selassie, is the highest ranking Orthodox Cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was built to commemorate Ethiopia's liberation from Italian occupation and is the second most important place of worship in Ethiopia, after the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum.
MOUNT ENTOTO: It is the highest peak in Addis Ababa with an altitude of 3200 meter, and was the site for the first palace of Emperor Menilik II. Here one can see a small but fully displayed museum that shows articles of historical significance, denoted by members of royal family, foreign diplomats and individuals, as well as Saint Mary Church where Emperor Menilik II crowned as Emperor of Ethiopia in it and you will admire the panoramic view of the city with its surrounding forests and breathtaking air.
MERKATO: It is the largest open-air market in Africa, here you will be presented with confusing but fascinating glimpse of the very vast range of goods and artifacts available from all parts of the country and you will enjoy the Ethiopian trade exchange tradition in the open-air and you can purchase anything you need.
Day 2: ADDIS ABABA – MELKA KUNTURE – ADDADI MARIAM
In the morning after you take breakfast, drive to Melka Kunture to visit the archaeological site and Addadi Mariam to discover the Rock – Hewn Church.
MELKA KUNTURE: -Some 50km away from Addis Ababa, you reach at the place called Awash Kunture or Melka Kunture. After driving one and half a kilometers, you find the Melka Kounture site. Researchers hold that Melka Kounture was a place where Homo sapiens used to live along the right and left banks of the Awash River. At this place, various archeological discoveries such as millennia-old stone tools, remains of animals and human fossils were uncovered through researches conducted by French, Ethiopian and Italian archaeologists at various times. In the compound, you find two cottages that host various archaeological findings as well as billboards that show the sites from which they were collected.
ADADI MARIAM: - Situated about 62Km to the south of Addis Ababa and surrounded by beautiful hills, it is one of the holiest places in Ethiopia. It is known for its Adadi Mariam cave church doing back to the Lalibella era.
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