Lake Tana, at a distance of 550k from capital Addis Ababa, is the source of the Blue Nile and with its size of about 66km long and 84km, 350,000ha, the largest lake of Ethiopia. At an elevation of 1,788masl, and located in the largely Ethiopian Orthodox Amhara Region, the 14m deep lake with about 45 islands – depending on the level of the lake – 8 of which are the home to historical monasteries and churches.
Why consider booking our our Ethiopia Culture & National Parks modules? Because for the same price, our tour gets you to ALL cultural places Ethiopia is so famous for, and on top of that, you get to see up to 12 National Parks/Reserves accompanied by a conservation forester. There is nothing similar on the market. As Ethiopia can be combined with other East African countries, we organize tours in modules. Destinations Overview: Historical Circuit; Danakil Depression; Eathern Route; Simien Mountains; Bale Mountains; Southern Parks Safari; Gambella; Addis Ababa BUT WAIT: if you buy your international ticket with Ethiopia Airlines, they will sell the internal flights at a price that you can’t even ride the bus for. But you MUST plan it all in one package and making changes will be very costly.
The Tana area is the traditional home of the Amhara, primarily adhering the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The area also used to be the homeland of the falashas who practised a form of Judaism, but after centuries of persecution, most of them were airlifted to Israel in 1991.
As Tigray, the original center of the Ethiopian Church with its rock hewn churches became in decline, a new church architecture was developed on the rocks and islands of Lake Tana, between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, based of the designs of regular round houses with conical thatched roofs. During this period, new religious arts was developed for the decoration of these churches.
The monasteries and churches are believed to have been built over earlier religious sites. They include the fourteenth-century Debre Maryam, and the eighteenth-century Narga Selassie, Tana Qirqos (said to have housed the Ark of the Covenant before it was moved to Axum), and Ura Kidane Mehret, known for its regalia.
Some Lake Tana monasteries are only accessible to men; very disappointing to women. However, not to despair, some beautiful ones are open to all. Daily excursions are organized out of Bahir Dar to two churches (Betre Maryam on the Zege peninsula and one on Dek Island) where both sexes are welcome to the inner and outer ambulatories and the treasure rooms. In those treasuries are many ancient manuscripts and precious pieces of religious art as well as royal jewelry and other representative objects.
The Lake was formed about 5 million years ago when lava blocked the about 60 streams and rivers of which , Megech, Gumara, Rib Rivers and Gilgel Abbay (Little Nile River)are the main tributaries. The latter, is attributed to be the source of the Blue Nile (Abbay River), the longest of the lake’s tributaries, as it drains Mount Amedamit, south of the lake. Over the last few centuries the lake’s water level has fallen about 2m but is now regulated with a control dam where it discharges into the Blue Nile and falls over the Blue Nile Falls, some 40km down stream.
Since there are no upstream waters that link the lake to other waterways, the lake became ecologically isolated when it was obstructed, causing the evolution of the fish fauna of the lake and its tributaries to go its own independent way. As a result. 19 species of endemic fish, live in the lake, the larger of which (Barbs) are offered in restaurants in Bahir Dar. As fish stocks are still more or less ok, there is no conservation objection eating those fishes. According to the Ethiopian Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 1,454 tonnes of fish are landed each year at Bahir Dar.
Among the mammals, the Hippopotamus is the most eye-catching species, often seen in the wetlands of the discharge into the Blue Nile River. Obviously, numerous wetland birds, such as the great white pelican and African darter, reside at Lake Tana. It is also an important wintering ground for many Palearctic migrant waterbirds. There are no crocodiles, but the African softshell turtle has been recorded near the Blue Nile outflow from the lake. There are fifteen species of molluscs, including one endemic as well as an endemic freshwater sponge.
The Ethiopian churches are the custodians of both religious and royal treasures such as royal crowns, ancient bibles, historical art, sacred relics, including the remains of royals, etc.
