The fame of Gonder lies with its castles, 6 to be exact, all
built by different kings of the Gonderian dynasty. Surrounded by fertile valleys and at the
crossroads of 3 major caravan routes, it’s easy to see why King Fasilades chose
this location as his capital in 1636. It
served as a capital for a little over 100 years, during which time 6 major
castles were built. Even though it was
bombed by the British during WWII, much of the castle and grounds remains
intact today. We could see massive
dining halls that still resembled dining halls, and the complexes of each of
the kings that ruled Gonder during its hey day.
I had no idea Ethiopia had castles. The surface appears smooth from afar, but if I look closely I see the rounded surfaces of individual stones
ReplyDeleteTo clarify: the British bombed the castles from the air in an attack on Italian forces staying there during WWII. There's a "Churchill" street or avenue in Addis out of appreciation, I believe, for helping rid Ethiopia of the fascist Italians under Mussolini.
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