It is the ‘African Camelot’. Fasil Ghebbi today is on the UNESCO list

Fasil Ghebbi is a complex of castles in Ethiopia that were built as the residences of emperors. With its unusual architecture and extensive grounds, the complex is sometimes referred to as the ‘African Camelot’.

Camelot is a castle-city that features in Arthurian legends. It was said to have been inhabited by King Arthur and his wife. The castle contained a chamber with a Round Table, where the Knights of the Round Table gathered.

“The African Camelot still exists today. It is located in the town of Gonder in Ethiopia and was built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The city was founded in 1636 by Emperor Fasiledes. Its intensive development made it the capital of the empire. It was here that the commercial and political centre of the country was located. Today, Gonder is Ethiopia’s fourth largest city.

The historic Fasil Ghebbi complex consists of castles, palaces, churches and ancillary buildings. The unusual brick architecture makes the complex reminiscent of medieval castles in Europe. The buildings are surrounded by a 900-metre-long wall.

The complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and is popular with tourists. The Fasiledes palace is impressive. The building has three floors and is the largest building of the entire complex. The authors of the highly regarded guide to Ethiopia, Philip Briggs and Brian Blatt, point out that by analysing the architectural details, Portuguese, Indian and Aksumite influences can be found.

Another interesting building is the library of John I. It is smaller than the palace as it only has two floors, but it adjoins the slightly higher royal archive building. The buildings were partially destroyed during the Second World War when British planes bombed the Italian command located in the Fasil Ghebbi area.

Also of value is the Gemdja Ber Marjam Church, whose construction dates back to 1655, and the palace of Ijasu the Great, which was built by Emperor Josiah I the Great who reigned from 1686 to 1706. At the time, the palace’s interiors were to be decorated with gold leaf ornaments, ivory ornaments and precious stones.

photo by Ian Swithinbank, flickr.com, licence: CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED

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