Best Travel Destinations - Ethiopia
Gondar, one of Ethiopia's largest cities, springs to life every January for Timkat, the Ethopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany. Timkat, which is celebrated on January 19, commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by reenacting the holy ceremony, and nowhere is the festival more stunning than in the 17th-century palaces of Gondar where the Ethiopian emperors once reigned. The main ceremony takes place in the Fasilides Castle, located just outside town in the Royal Enclosure. Travelers gather from all over the world to witness the Gondar's Epiphany ceremony, when a model of the Ark of the Covenant is reverently wrapped in cloth and the laity have a rare opportunity to observe its splendor. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated alongside the Fasilides bath in the morning. ...
