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Ethiopia
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Addis Ababa Information courtesy of the Hilton Addis Ababa, site of the Africa Travel Association's 25th International Congress. Addis Ababa in Amharic means "New Flower" and the city was established in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II on the 8,000 ft. high Ethiopian Plateau, thus reaping the advantages of an excellent temperate climate in spite of being only 8 North of the Equator. The hotel is ideally situated for exploring Addis Ababa, the capital and geographical center of Ethiopia. The airport, point of entry for almost all tourists, is only seven kilometers away. The National Palace, across from the Hilton Addis Ababa, was built in 1955. Opposite the Palace stands the Economic Commission for Africa, the focal point of which is the new state of the art conference center which has been added recently. The economic Commission for Africa was constructed to advance the forces of progress and unity within Africa and to symbolize Ethiopia's role in modern African affairs. Coptic churches of interest within very close proximity are Stefanos church, a modern Coptic church, the Trinity Cathedral and St. George Cathedral, built in Octagonal styles of Ethiopian churches and containing remarkable mural paintings. St. George Cathedral is where Haile Selassie was coronated. The focal point for the Moslem community is the Grand Mosque, where tall minarets bring a particularly Eastern touch to the market place. Numerous antiquities and vast historical relics can be seen in the National and Ethnological museums. (Photo: Coffee ceremony in Hilton lobby) Other attractions include the grand market or Mercato, the world's largest open air market where there is an endless array of goods, exotic fruits and spices, swords and leather shields, colorful basketry, lovely embroidery costumes, icons, and most of all the famous intricate coptic crosses worked in silver and wood. Bargaining is part of the market experience with much good-natured banter between merchant and buyer as each seeks one another's "last price". Much more information to come on the attractions and accommodation in Addis Ababa. Crater Lakes and Hot Springs: Day excursions can be made to the lovely vistas and interesting old churches of mount Entoto and to several spa resorts featuring hot spring mineral baths and swimming pools such as Sodore and the crater lakes of Debrezeit. Ethiopia's natural beauty is at its most lovely on the full day's drive to the Blue Nile gorge and Debre Libanos. Further afield to the south, the Rift Valley Lakes provide weekend resorts for the residents of Addis Ababa. On the eastern edge of the Ethiopian
plateau lies the old Moslem walled city of Harar
which has reputedly the best climate in Ethiopia with
mild rainfall and dry air. It is also a fascinating
spectacle of color, especially in the famous market place,
where the women wear long, brilliantly colored velvet
trousers, their braided hair tied with long wisps of gauze
scarves and ornamental jewelry. A mountain road leads to the
neighboring city Dire-Dawa.
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