City in Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Not to be confused with
Gondor
.
City and woreda in Amhara, Ethiopia
Gondar
, also spelled
Gonder
(
Amharic
: ????,
Gonder
[a]
or
Gondar
;
[b]
formerly
????
,
G?andar
or
G?ender
), is a city and
woreda
in Ethiopia. Located in the
North Gondar Zone
of the
Amhara Region
, Gondar is north of
Lake Tana
on the
Lesser Angereb River
and southwest of the
Simien Mountains
. As of 2021
[update]
, Gondar has an estimated population of 443,156.
[2]
Gondar previously served as the capital of both the
Ethiopian Empire
and the subsequent
Begemder Province
. The city holds the remains of several royal castles, including those in the
Fasil Ghebbi
UNESCO World Heritage Site
for which Gondar has been called the "Camelot of Africa".
[3]
History
[
edit
]
Origins
[
edit
]
. Gondar was founded by Emperor
Fasilides
around the year 1635, and grew as an agricultural and market town. There was a superstition at the time that the capital's name should begin with the letter 'G?a' (modern pronunciation 'G?e'; Gonder was originally spelt G?andar), which also contributed to
Gorgora
's (founded as G?arg?ara) growth in the centuries after 1600. Tradition also states that a buffalo led the Emperor Fasilides to a pool beside the
Angereb
, where an "old and venerable hermit" told the Emperor he would locate his capital there. Fasilides had the pool filled in and built his castle on that same site.
[4]
The emperor also built a total of seven churches; the first two, Fit Mikael and
Qedus Abbo
, were built to end local epidemics.
[
clarification needed
]
The five emperors who followed him also built their palaces in the town.
16th century
[
edit
]
Beginning with
Emperor
Menas
in 1559, the rulers of
Ethiopia
began spending the rainy season near
Lake Tana
, often returning to the same location each year. These encampments, which flourished as cities for a short time, include
Emfraz
,
Ayba
,
Gorgora
and
Dankaz
.
17th century
[
edit
]
In 1668, as a result of a church council, the Emperor
Yohannes I
ruled that the inhabitants of Gondar were to be segregated by religion. This caused the
Muslims
and
Jews
to move into their own quarters within two years. These quarters came to be known as Addis Alem ("New World") and Kayla Mayda (plain of Kayla).
[5]
: 16
During the seventeenth century, the city's population is estimated to have exceeded 60,000. Many of the buildings from this period survive, despite the turmoil of the eighteenth century. By the reign of
Iyasu the Great
, Gondar had acquired a sense of community identity.
19th century
[
edit
]
The town served as Ethiopia's capital until
Tewodros II
moved the Imperial capital to
Debra Tabor
in 1856, and Gondar becoming a "city of Priests";
[6]
Tewodros II plundered and burnt the city in 1864, then devastated it again in December, 1866.
[7]
[8]
Abdallahi ibn Muhammad
sacked Gondar when he invaded Ethiopia June 1887 and was ravaged by
Sudanese
invaders that set fire to almost every one of the city's churches.
[9]
Lastly, it was bombed by the
British
trying to clear out
Fascist
Italians
during
WWII
.
20th century
[
edit
]
After the military occupation of Ethiopia by the
Kingdom of Italy
in 1936, Gondar was further developed under Italian occupation,
[5]
: 28?37
and the
Comboni missionaries
established in 1937 the Latin Catholic
Apostolic Prefecture of Gondar
, which would be suppressed after the death of its only prefect in 1951.
During the
Second World War
, Mussolini's Italian forces
made their last stand in Gondar in November 1941
, after Addis Ababa fell to British forces six months before. The area of Gondar was one of the main centers of activity of
Italian guerrilla
against the British forces until summer 1943.
[5]
: 55?60
During the
Ethiopian Civil War
, the forces of the
Ethiopian Democratic Union
gained control of large parts of
Begemder
, and during parts of 1977 operated within a few kilometers of Gondar, and appeared to be at the point of capturing the city.
[10]
As part of
Operation Tewodros
near the end of the Civil War, Gondar was captured by the
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
in March 1991.
[11]
Cityscape
[
edit
]
Gondar traditionally was divided into several neighborhoods or quarters: Addis Alem, where the Muslim inhabitants dwelt; Kayla Mayda, where the adherents of
Beta Israel
lived; Abun Bet, centered on the residence of the
Abuna
, or nominal head of the
Ethiopian Church
; and Qagn Bet, home to the nobility.
[5]
: 16ff
Gondar is also a noted center of ecclesiastical learning of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and known for having 44 churches ? for many years more than any other settlement in Ethiopia. Gondar and its surrounding countryside constitute the homeland of most
Ethiopian Jews
.
The modern city of Gondar is popular as a tourist destination for its many picturesque ruins in
Fasil Ghebbi
(the Royal Enclosure), from which the emperors once reigned. The most famous buildings in the city lie in the Royal Enclosure, which include
Fasilides
' castle,
Iyasu
's palace,
Dawit
's Hall, a banqueting hall, stables, Empress
Mentewab
's castle, a
chancellery
, library and three churches. Near the city lie
Fasilides' Bath
, home to an annual ceremony where it is blessed and then opened for bathing; the
Qusquam
complex, built by Empress Mentewab; the eighteenth century
Ras Mikael Sehul's Palace
and the
Debre Berhan Selassie Church
.
Downtown Gondar shows the influence of the Italian occupation of the late 1930s. The main piazza features shops, a cinema, and other public buildings in a simplified Italian
Moderne
style still distinctively of the period despite later changes and, frequently, neglect. Villas and flats in the nearby quarter that once housed occupation officials and colonists are also of interest.
Education
[
edit
]
The town is home to the
University of Gondar
, which includes Ethiopia's main faculty of medicine.
Teda Health Science College
is also located at this town.
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1984
| 80,886
| ?
|
---|
1994
| 112,249
| +38.8%
|
---|
2007
| 207,044
| +84.5%
|
---|
2015
| 323,900
| +56.4%
|
---|
source:
[12]
|
Based on the 2007 national census conducted by the
Central Statistical Agency
of Ethiopia (CSA), the woreda had a total population of 207,044, an increase of 84.45% from the 1994 census, of whom 98,120 were male and 108,924 female. A total of 53,725 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 3.85 persons to a household, and 50,818 housing units. The majority of the inhabitants practiced
Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity
, with 84.15% reporting that as their religion, while 11.77% of the population said they were
Muslim
.
[1]
Ethnic groups of Gondar in 1994
[13]
Other (1.98%)
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 112,249 in 22,932 households, of whom 51,366 were male and 60,883 female. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Gondar were the
Amhara
(88.91%),
Tigrayans
(6.74%), and
Qemant
(2.37%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.98% of the population.
Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 94.57% of the population and
Tigrinya
was spoken as a first language by 4.67% of the population; the remaining 0.76% spoke all other primary languages reported. 83.31% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 15.83% of the population said they were Muslim.
[13]
Documentation with 3D laser scanners
[
edit
]
The
Zamani Project
documented
Fasil Ghebbi
in the center of Gondar with terrestrial
3D laser scanning
.
[14]
[15]
[16]
The structures documented include: the Castle of Emperor
Fasilides
, the Bakaffa Castle, Dawit III's Hall, the Castle of Emperor Iyasu, the Royal Library, the Chancellery, the Royal Archive Building .
Some of the textured 3D models, a panorama tour, elevations, sections and plans are available on
www.zamaniproject.org
.
Transport
[
edit
]
Air transport is served by
Gondar Airport
(
ICAO
code HAGN,
IATA
GDQ), also known as Atse Tewodros Airport, after the
Emperor of Ethiopia
(
Atse
)
Tewodros
. It is 18 km (11 miles) south of the city.
[17]
Travel within Gondar is mostly done by mini-buses and 3-wheeler motorcycles (accommodating 3?4 passengers).
Intercity bus service is provided by the
forward trvellers sacco
and Sky Bus Transport System, as well as independently owned buses that depart from the town bus station.
Climate
[
edit
]
The climate of Gondar is mild, temperate to warm, with an average temperature of 20 °C year round.
[18]
Koppen-Geiger climate classification system
classifies its climate as
subtropical highland
(Cwb).
[19]
Climate data for Gondar (1981?2010, extremes 1924?present)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
31.0
(87.8)
|
33.4
(92.1)
|
33.5
(92.3)
|
34.1
(93.4)
|
33.4
(92.1)
|
34.8
(94.6)
|
26.6
(79.9)
|
31.0
(87.8)
|
29.9
(85.8)
|
29.6
(85.3)
|
29.7
(85.5)
|
30.2
(86.4)
|
34.8
(94.6)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
28
(82)
|
29
(84)
|
29
(84)
|
30
(86)
|
29
(84)
|
25
(77)
|
23
(73)
|
23
(73)
|
25
(77)
|
26
(79)
|
27
(81)
|
27
(81)
|
27
(80)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
19.8
(67.6)
|
21.5
(70.7)
|
22.7
(72.9)
|
22.7
(72.9)
|
21.7
(71.1)
|
19.7
(67.5)
|
17.8
(64.0)
|
17.9
(64.2)
|
18.7
(65.7)
|
19.2
(66.6)
|
19.3
(66.7)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
20.0
(68.0)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
12
(54)
|
13
(55)
|
14
(57)
|
15
(59)
|
15
(59)
|
14
(57)
|
13
(55)
|
13
(55)
|
13
(55)
|
13
(55)
|
12
(54)
|
12
(54)
|
13
(56)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
3.0
(37.4)
|
5.2
(41.4)
|
6.2
(43.2)
|
9.2
(48.6)
|
5.5
(41.9)
|
6.0
(42.8)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
8.0
(46.4)
|
7.0
(44.6)
|
6.0
(42.8)
|
4.5
(40.1)
|
1.6
(34.9)
|
1.6
(34.9)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
2
(0.1)
|
2
(0.1)
|
13
(0.5)
|
32
(1.3)
|
72
(2.8)
|
160
(6.3)
|
293
(11.5)
|
275
(10.8)
|
112
(4.4)
|
60
(2.4)
|
12
(0.5)
|
4
(0.2)
|
1,037
(40.9)
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 0.1 mm)
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
5
|
12
|
13
|
20
|
21
|
19
|
15
|
3
|
0
|
110
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
44
|
40
|
39
|
39
|
52
|
69
|
79
|
79
|
72
|
65
|
56
|
48
|
57
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
291.4
|
243.0
|
229.4
|
249.0
|
238.7
|
183.0
|
114.7
|
139.5
|
204.0
|
229.4
|
240.0
|
279.0
|
2,641.1
|
Mean daily
sunshine hours
|
9.4
|
8.6
|
7.4
|
8.3
|
7.7
|
6.1
|
3.7
|
4.5
|
6.8
|
7.4
|
8.0
|
9.0
|
7.2
|
Source 1:
World Meteorological Organisation
(average high and low, and rainfall)
[20]
|
Source 2:
Deutscher Wetterdienst
(mean temperatures 1954?1990, humidity 1957?1982, and sun 1937?1990)
[21]
Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)
[22]
|
Sister cities
[
edit
]
As designated by
Sister Cities International
, Gondar is a
sister city
with:
Notable people
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Census 2007 Tables: Amhara Region
, Tables 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4.
- ^
a
b
"Population Projection Towns as of July 2021"
(PDF)
.
Ethiopian Statistics Agency
. 2021
. Retrieved
31 May
2022
.
- ^
http://bjtoursandtrekking.com/tours/index.htm
Gondar World Heritage Site
- ^
Richard K.P. Pankhurst,
History of Ethiopian Towns: From the Middle Ages to the Early Nineteenth Century
(Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982), vol. 1 p. 117.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Getamun, Solomon (2005).
History of the City of Gondar
. Africa World Press.
ISBN
1569021953
.
- ^
Stuart Munro-Hay (2002).
Ethiopia: The Unknown Land
. I.B. Tauris. p. 69.
ISBN
1860647448
.
- ^
Sven Rubenson,
King of Kings: Tewodros of Ethiopia
(Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie I University, 1966), pp.71
- ^
R. Pankhurst, in
UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol VI: Africa in the Nineteenth Century
p.397
- ^
"Local History in Ethiopia"
Archived
2008-05-29 at the
Wayback Machine
(pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 9 May 2008)
- ^
Marina and David Ottaway,
Ethiopia: Empire in Revolution
(New York: Africana, 1978), p. 171
- ^
Henze, Paul B
(2000).
Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia
. p. 322.
ISBN
1137117869
.
- ^
"Gondar population statistics"
.
Archived
from the original on 24 September 2018
. Retrieved
6 October
2019
.
- ^
a
b
1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Amhara Region
, Vol. 1, part 1
, Tables 2.1, 2.7, 2.10, 2.13, 2.17, Annex II.2 (Retrieved 29 May 2022)
- ^
"Site - Fassil Ghebbi - Gondar"
.
zamaniproject.org
.
Archived
from the original on 28 September 2019
. Retrieved
7 October
2019
.
- ^
Ruther, Heinz; Rajan, Rahim S. (2007). "Documenting African Sites: The Aluka Project".
Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians
.
66
(4): 437?443.
doi
:
10.1525/jsah.2007.66.4.437
.
ISSN
0037-9808
.
JSTOR
10.1525/jsah.2007.66.4.437
.
- ^
Ruther, Heinz (2002).
"An African Heritage Database: The Virtual Preservation of Africa's Past"
(PDF)
. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 26 February 2020
. Retrieved
2 October
2019
.
- ^
"Gondar Atse Tewodros Airport"
. Ethiopian Airports Enterprise. Archived from
the original
on 3 December 2013
. Retrieved
27 June
2014
.
- ^
"Archived copy"
(PDF)
.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 31 March 2019
. Retrieved
6 October
2019
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link
)
- ^
"Gonder ? Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table"
. Climate-Data.org.
Archived
from the original on 17 November 2015
. Retrieved
17 November
2015
.
- ^
"World Weather Information Service ? Gondar"
. World Meteorological Organisation.
Archived
from the original on 23 October 2013
. Retrieved
31 March
2019
.
- ^
"Klimatafel von Gondar (Gonder), Provinz Gondar / Athiopien"
(PDF)
.
Baseline climate means (1961?1990) from stations all over the world
(in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 31 March 2019
. Retrieved
31 March
2019
.
- ^
"Station Gondar"
(in French). Meteo Climat.
Archived
from the original on 24 February 2021
. Retrieved
31 March
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Gondar
.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
????
.
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Geographic
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Other
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