Things to Do in Bahir Dar

Ura Kidane Meret

On the Zege Peninsula, about 60 minutes by boat from Bahir Dar, you can find the famous monastery Ura Kidane Meret.
After arriving at the landing stage you have to walk about 15 minutes. We brought our own guide and he showed us the way to the monastery.
When you look at the roof of the building, you can see that a part is thatched and a part has plates. Our guide told us, that the international cultural heritage money for renovating the roof is only used half for its purpose. So you see only a thatched roof at the front. The rest of the money is disappeared. He told us in the pockets of the priests.

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	Ura Kidane Meret, paintings and legends Tip Rating:

Updated By sachara

on May 5, 2004

Ura Kidane Meret, painting of
the holy Mary

Almost all the churches in Ethiopia have colourful wallpaintings. The personalities and subjects look often more mythological than biblical. There are numerous popular legends about the saints in Ethiopia, little known outside Ethiopia.

Also concerning Mary there are charming legends and miracles.
So, this painting shows Mary, saving Belai, the Cannibal, from the hell. Once Belai gave water to a leper, who begged for water in the name of the Virgin. After his dead St Michael, the judge, balanced the 72 human victims at one side and the water on the other side of the scales. Belai's soul was saved, because Mary, by casting her shade on the side with the water, caused them to tip.
And at some paintings you can see Mary scolding Jesus, because he broke a clay water jug.

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	Blue Nile Falls, river above the falls Tip Rating:

Updated By sachara

on May 7, 2004

tankwa, traditional papyrus
boat

From the base of the waterfalls you can walk in half an hour to the river above the falls.
After the climbing up it's an easy walk in a green, sometimes swampy, area with a lot of birds.

Arriving at the river opposite the village Tis Isat, we saw these traditonal papyrusboats, called tankwas. They are used for transport of the villagers.

After a few minutes a motorboat arrived to bring us back to the village. It was even not allowed to make a trip with the local tankwas since some time.

Directions: This crossing point to/from the village you can find at the western route from or to the falls. The village Tis Isat, also called Tis Abay, is about 32 KM from Bahir Dar.

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	Zege Penisula, landing stage Tip Rating:

Updated By sachara

on May 6, 2004

landing stage Zege peninsula

You can reach the Zege Peninsula by boat or by land. From Bahir Dar it will take one hour by boat, allthough there are also (more expensive) speedboats. We paid 300 Birr for a normal boat.

The monastery at the Zege Peninsula is the most-visited one, allthough we saw only 2 other visitors during our visit.
At the landing-stage boys are waiting for you trying to be your guide, but we brought our own guide.

Along the path to the monastery you find a lot of souvenir sellers. They are selling wonderful Ethiopian stuff, like necklaces and agelgils. Agelgils are round leather lunchboxes from this aera, used by peasants and country travellers. All was rather cheap here.

We didn't buy enough in the eyes of the sellers, so some followed us to the landing stage and still tried to make a deal, even when we were allready back in the boat.

Directions: Zege Peninsula.

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	Lake Tana, boattrip Tip Rating:

Updated By sachara

on May 4, 2004

Lake Tana

For a boattrip at lake Tana we could leave from the landing-stage, just in front of our Ghion-hotel.
In a day or half-day trip you can see only a very small part of this huge lake of 3.500 sq. KM.
The Lake Tana is famous because of the many monasteries, most from the 16th and 17th century. At 20 of the 37 islands in the lake you can find these monasteries.
Women are not allowed to visit some of them.

Phone: 200740

Directions: You can arrange boattrips at the Ghion Hotel.

Website: ghionbd@telecom.net.et

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	Ura Kidane Meret, the church and its construction Tip Rating:

Updated By sachara

on May 4, 2004

Ura Kidane Meret

After putting off our shoes we entered the Ura Kidane Meret.
Under the roof at the outside ring is a kind of screened gallery around the inner part of the building. In this gallery you can see bells and drums, used during ceremonies.
Also you can see, that they used a lot of wood for the construction.
The maqdas or inner sanctuary of this church is very beautifully painted with images of many Ethiopian Saints.

Directions: At the Zege peninsula, 60 minutes by boat from Bahir Dar.

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	At the base of the Blue Nile Falls Tip Rating:

By sachara

on May 7, 2004

Blue Nile Falls

I really enjoyed to descend to the base of the Blue Nile Falls. It is a lovely place to spend some time or to picknick on the grass.

Climbing and sitting on the rocks in front of the falls, you can feel the spray of the falls very intensily.

When you walk around a bit, you can find the place at the righthand side, where it's possible to swim, just near the falls.

Directions: Getting to the Blue Falls, you can arrange a tour in Bahir Dar, take one of the hotelbuses, like the one of the Ghion hotel (all about 200 Birr). There is also public transport to the village Tis Isat (every hour) and back (every 2 or 3 hours).

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	Lake Tana and its monasteries... of course! Tip Rating:

By leonik

on September 17, 2005

by leonik, 4 more photos
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Main attractions in Bahar Dar - the island monasteries of Lake Tana.

Best way to do this would be to hire a boat/ferry with other travelers and visit some of the monasteries... you can't do all in one day as some of them are pretty far away. Lake Tana is huge by the way.

Separate admission fees for all the monasteries. A tip will be much appreciated if the priest/deacon goes out of his way to show and explain to you some historical artefacts... like crosses, bibles etc.

N.B.: Some of the monasteries do not allow women to enter as it's after all, a monastery where virgin (?!) priests and deacons and priest-or-deacon-in-training reside and pray.

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	Beautifully painted maqdas Tip Rating:

Updated By sachara

on May 4, 2004

Ura Kidane Meret, painted
doors

The maqdas or inner sanctuary of the churches on the islands and peninsula of Lake Tana is always beautifully painted.
When you walk around the gallery of Ura Kidane Meret you can find the images of nearly all the Ethiopian Saints. Our guide explained us ''who is who'' and how to recognize a particular saint.
Not only the walls are painted but also the blind wondows and the doors.
Some paintings were covered with a curtain for protection against sunlight, but the priest opened all the curtains and we were even allowed to make pictures.

Directions: At the Zege Peninsula about 15 KM north of Bahir Dar, best reachable by boat.

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	Blue Nile Falls, view from the western route Tip Rating:

By sachara

on May 7, 2004

Blue Nile Falls

After leaving the main viewpoint and taking the western route, you will have also very good views at the falls.

From the western route you can easily descend to the base of the waterfalls. There are a few paths leading down. Some are rather steep, but some are easily to walk, if they are not too slippery.
It's really worth to go down.