Spiritual Roots
of the Northern Historic Route
Once the longest-running monarchies in the world, the Ethiopian Empire, led by its own King of Kings, ruled the highlands of Ethiopia for hundreds of years, drawing its legitimacy from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, an ancient faith that became a state religion in the 3rd century. The historic route is a journey through Ethiopia’s dramatic history that allows travelers to imagine the past and enjoy the highland culture intimately linked to their religion. Travelers go to Axum, the center Horn of Africa’s most important pre-Christianity civilization, and then on to the ancient rock churches of Tigray carved into the sandstone of the majestic Gheralta valley. Visit the
great castles, royal bathes and churches built by the kings of Ethiopia over 400 years ago in Gondar and the isolated monasteries located on islands in Lake Tana. The journey takes travelers some 2,000 kilometers through the Ethiopian countryside, mountains, and desert. Driving from site to site gives the traveler a chance to see the places in between, enjoy local culture, and see the landscapes that exist all around these incredible historic sites.