He returned with the Ark, which rests in a guarded chapel in Northern Ethiopia ,Axum to this day. Years later their son Menelik returned to meet his father. The Tabot symbolizes the Ark of the Covenant and the tablets describing the Ten Commandments, which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai to serve as the core principles of the moral behavior for humanityĪccording to The holy book of Ethiopia called The Kebra Nagast, which means “The Glory of Kings.” holds that King Solomon got the queen of Sheba pregnant. At dawn the water is blessed and sprinkled on the participants, some of whom jump in the water to renew baptismal vows. On Ketra ,the eve of Timkat(18 January every year),the Tabot (a replica of the Ark of the Covenant) is removed from every major church in Gondar ,then warped in rich cloth and silk are carried to the Fasildes bath in a procession led by the most senior priest of each church, who carry the arks on top of their heads. Once a year ,the bath is filled up for the Timkat festival, to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ in Jordan River. Although the bath was used for swimming, it was more likely to have been built for religious celebrations ,the likes of which still go on today. The city was chosen as a capital by Emperor Fasildes in 1636 for its strategic location, and thrived and flourished in the 16th century.ĭuring its heydays ,Emperor Fasilads Bath a wealth of stately palaces ,impressive castles ,banquet halls ,lavish gardens and a royal bath. the city is an ancient capital studded with royal palaces and castles decorated with Ivory and painted in gold. Timkat is widely celebrated across Ethiopia but the biggest and most spectacular Timkat celebrations take place in the historic city of Gondar, often called the Camelot of Africa. As the Amharic saying goes ,” le Timket yalhoone Qemise Yibetates” which translates to mean ,” if you don’t wear the dress on Timkat ,you might as well cut it up” Witnessing this event brings the scenes described in the bible when the Israelis Welcome Moses from Mount Sinai With the ten commandments, to the mind. Priests and deacons, bearing golden –rimmed silk robes and umbrellas, perform rollicking dances and songs, accompanied by a slowly building tempo of traditional church drums, metal sistrum and pilgrims’ clapping and lead the crowed in an immensely moving procession. Hundreds of people- dressed as a sea of white gather in the historic city of Gondar for the annual Timkat festival.

North africa epiphany city