Timkat in Ethiopia by Jeroen Bergmans
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The dusty, Biblically-beautiful land of Ethiopia lies in the Horn of Africa, a corner of the world also known as the Cradle of Humanity as this is where the first ever humans walked the earth. In 1974 a 3.5 million year-old female hominid was discovered in its Western desert and for more than twenty years she was the oldest human ancestor known to science - an Eve of her time.
The archeologists christened her 'Lucy' (as in the Beatles' Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds was playing on the radio at the time) and in September 2006 the skeleton of young girl from the same species, nicknamed Lucy's Baby, was unearthed in the country's Dikika region. But Ethiopia is not only a haven for archeologists and paleontologists - it is also a fascinating cultural destination where Africa meets the Ancient World and where a mystical religion which has remained unchanged for centuries is still practiced.
The Ethiopian Orthodox church is based on a myth that is the stuff of Indiana Jones movies. Legend has it that one of the monarchs of this antique land, the Queen of Sheba, was seduced by King Solomon. Their son Menelik stole the Arc of the Covenant containing the tablets of Moses from The Temple in Jerusalem and spirited them back to the town of Aksum in the North of the country where they remain to this day in the Church of St Mary of Zion. All the brightly-painted churches across the land have copies of the tablets, known as tabots, hidden away in the Holy of Holies which are closely guarded by the priests and monks and never displayed to non-believers. But the tabots are taken from their ecclesiastical inner sanctums, wrapped in colourful, elaborately embroidered cloth, and paraded through the streets with traditional Ethiopian crosses to a frenzied chorus of drums, trumpets, bells and ecstatic ululating three times a year - at Christmas, Easter and Timkat or Epiphany.
Timkat, which celebrates Christ's baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, is the most spectacular of Ethiopia's religious festivals. It starts on 19th January every year, climaxing three days later on the Feast of St Michael, the archangel and saint venerated most venerated in Ethiopian Orthodoxy. The best place to witness the colourful processions is the ancient town of Gondar, with its Arthurian castles and its stunning church of Debre Birhan Selassie whose ceiling, adorned with myriad winged cherubs, is the most iconic example of Ethiopia's ecclesiastical art. Brightly-adorned priests lead processions from churches across the region to converge on the town from all directions, making their way to 17th-century ruins surrounding King Fasilidas' Pool accompanied by thousands of white-robed worshippers.
To celebrate Timkat all Ethiopians buy a new gabbi, the light, woven cotton shawl that constitutes the traditional national costume which is made at home by the menfolk. Women favour the more delicate version, crinkled wrap-dresses which keep them cool under the scorching Ethiopian sun. Set against the dazzling white mass of gabbi-clad supplicants, the priests' colourful robes denote their status. They are clad in a patchwork of jewel-coloured velvets and satins lined with golden-tassled trimming and all carry richly embroidered, sequined umbrellas often depicting scenes from the sacred baptism, which shield the tabots from the sun and the frenzied crowd.
The ceremonial blessings of new-borns, the mesmerizing Dance of David performed by the turbaned priests, the pungent incense and the sheer scale of the crowds make Timkat an unforgettable experience and offer a rare glimpse of traditions stretching back to biblical times.
Location: Northeast Africa or the Horn of Africa bordering Eritrea to the North, Sudan to the East, Somalia to the West and Kenya to the South.
Population: 70 million (est. 2005)
Capital: Addis Ababa
Languages: Ge'ez is the ancient tongue of Ethiopia. It's modern derivatives are Amharic and Tigrinya and there are seven more regional dialects spoken.
Religion: 25% Muslim, 75% Ethiopian Orthodox
Currency: Ethiopian Birr. Bring dollar travellers cheques and make sure you plan when you will cash them in. Lalibela, for example, has no banks at all.
Visas: Issued on Arrival to most nationalities. Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in London is located at 17, Princes Gate, SW7 11PZ, Tel: 020 7589 7212, www.ethioembassy.org.uk.
Getting there: British Mediterranean Airways and Ethiopian Airlines (www.flyethiopian.com) fly direct from London Heathrow.
Accommodation: Hotels in Ethiopia tend towards the basic, but the Hilton Addis Ababa in the capital, Goha Hotel in Gondar, the Africa Hotel in Axum, Seven Olives Hotel in Lalibela and the Tana Hotel in Bahir Dar come highly recommended.
Health Protection: Vaccination against yellow fever, typhoid, polio, diptheria, tetanus, hepatitus A and B are recommended. Incidents of malaria are very rare in Ethiopia.
Best TIme to Visit: Avoid the rainy season from June until early October. The most colourful religious festivals are celebrated during the warm, dry months - Ethiopian Christmas falls on 7th January, Timkat on 19th January and the dates for Ethiopian Easter change every year (check online)
Safety: Ethiopia is generally a very safe country, but if you are visiting for Timkat, leave all valuables, wallets, credit cards etc. in your hotel room as thieves and pickpockets descend on all the main towns to prey on the tourists.
Recommended reading: There are only two practical guidebooks of note currently available, published by Bradt and Lonely Planet. The Sign and the Seal by Graham Hancock is an entertaining conspiracy-theory riddled read on the myths behind Ethiopian Orthodoxy and The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuscinski provides a fascinating insight into the fall of Haile Selassie,
Shopping: Visit the Institute of Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa housed in Haile Selassie's former palace which has an excellent ethnographic collection, often hosts exhibitions of traditional textiles and stocks a small selection of quality pieces in the museum shop. The capital's main market, Mercato, has a huge range of gabbis and traditional textiles, but the most exquisite Ethiopian fabrics and soft furnishings with a modern twist are produced by Muya, a lifestyle brand founded by local designer Sara Abera, which is sold at the Addis Ababa Sheraton and at the airside duty free shops at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.