The Fasil Ghebbi , a fortified complex of buildings located in Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.
The fortress is located in the Ethiopian town of Gondar, and its history dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. The exact date of the construction of the structure is still unknown, so experts rely on 1632, when the city was founded.
The fortress city functioned as the center of Ethiopian government until 1864.The structure covers an area of 68,000 square meters, on which a 900-meter long fortress wall is built. There are 12 closed towers on it, used to protect against external threats. It is home to around twenty palaces, royal buildings, ornate churches, monasteries, and unique public and private buildings, transformed by the Baroque style introduced to Gondar by Jesuit missionaries.
The structure attracts thousands of tourists as it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Access : Coordinates: 12.6075, 37.47 /
Highlights :
- Among the monuments are King Fasilides Castle, built in the 1640s, the Enqulal Gemb , the oldest of the complex structures, the royal archive, the stable, the bathing palace, 5 churches and 7 bridges.
- In addition to Fasil Ghebi, the following have also been included in the World Heritage Site: the Baths of Fasilides, the church of Kuddus Yohannes, 1500 m to the west ,the Qusquam complex, built by Empress Mentuab in the 18th century, 3000 m to the northwest , the monastery of Mariam Ghemb, called Socinios , and the palace of Guzara.
Go next : Gondar , a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region.
