Ethiopia

Seasonal calendar — from climate data and curated definitions.

National holidays — closures and days off.

UNESCO World Heritage sites in this country.

• Aksum

  1980Cultural

  ©

  Axum, also spelled Aksum, is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents. It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Lower Valley of the Omo

  1980Cultural

  ©

  The Omo River in southern Ethiopia is the largest Ethiopian river outside the Nile Basin. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and it empties into Lake Turkana on the border with Kenya. The river is the principal stream of an endorheic drainage basin, the Turkana Basin.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Simien National Park

  1978Natural

  ©

  Simien Mountains National Park is the largest national park in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, its territory covers the highest parts of the Simien Mountains and includes Ras Dashan, the highest point in Ethiopia.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region

  1979Cultural

  ©

  The Fasil Ghebbi is a fortress located in Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. It was founded in the 17th century by Emperor Fasilides and was the home of Ethiopian emperors. Its unique architecture shows diverse influences including Portuguese, Hindu, and Arab characteristics. Because of its historical importance and architecture, the fortress was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Ghebbi is an Amharic word for a compound or enclosure.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Bale Mountains National Park

  2023Natural

  ©

  Bale Mountains National Park is a national park in Ethiopia. The park encompasses an area of about 2,150 km2 (830 sq mi) in the Bale Mountains and Sanetti Plateau of the Ethiopian Highlands.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

  1978Cultural

  ©

  The eleven Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela are monolithic churches located in the western Ethiopian Highlands near the town of Lalibela, named after the late-12th and early-13th century King Gebre Meskel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned the massive building project of 11 rock-hewn churches to recreate the holy city of Jerusalem in his own kingdom. The site remains in use by the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church to this day, and it remains an important place of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox worshipers. It took 24 years to build all the 11 rock hewn churches.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Melka Kunture and Balchit: Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites in the Highland Area of Ethiopia

  2024Cultural

  ©

  Melka Kunture is a Paleolithic site in the upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia. It is located 50 kilometers south of Addis Ababa by road, across the Awash River from the village of Melka Awash. Three waterfalls lie downstream of the bridge across the Awash here, which provides access south to Butajira. The site became a World Heritage Site in 2024.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Tiya

  1980Cultural

  ©

  Tiya is an archaeological site in central Ethiopia. It is located in the Soddo woreda, in the Gurage Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region south of Addis Ababa. It is best known for its archaeological site its large stone pillars, many of which bear some form of decoration. The archeological site was designated a World Heritage Site in 1980, due to the unique nature of these monolithic monuments.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• The Gedeo Cultural Landscape

  2023Cultural

  ©

  The Gedeo Cultural Landscape is a region of the Gedeo Zone, part of the South Ethiopia Regional State in south-central Ethiopia. It stretches across the eastern flank of the Main Ethiopian Rift, ranging from 1,307 to 3,072 metres above sea level. The region is home to roughly 2,550,000 Gedeo people. Dotted with sacred forests and megalithic monuments, the region has been the homeland of the Gedeo people for thousands of years. Traditional agroforestry is practiced in the region by the Gedeo people. Because of these traditional practices, its long history of occupation, and the cultural importance of the region, the Gedeo Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Lower Valley of the Awash

  1980Cultural