TOURISM SERVICE LEVEL ONE

TEACHING, TRAINING AND LEARNING MATERIAL (TTLM)

Revised by: APTC and TAC in 0917 G.C
TTLM CODE:CST TUS1 M01 0917LG CODE: CST TUS1 1-2 0917

UC: Interpret Aspects of Ethiopian Tourism Heritages

MT: Interpreting Aspects of Ethiopian Tourism Heritages

Nominal duration: 50hours

Price: 40 birr

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the module in interpreting aspects of Ethiopian tourism heritages. It contains

training materials and activities for you to complete the unit of competency “consult with
the local community, identify and interpret aspects of Ethiopian tourism heritage for customers.”
It is one of the specialized and core Modules at national certificate level II (NCL II).
You are required to go through a series of learning activities in order to complete each
learning out-come of the module .In each learning out-com e there are information
sheet, self check with model answer, operation sheet and job sheet at the last
(reference materials for further reading to help you better understand the required
activities).Follow these activities on your own and answer the self check at the end of
each information sheet. You may get model answer sheet at the end of each self check
(get one from your trainer or facilitator)to check your answer for each self check. If you
have questions do not hesitate to ask your facilitator (assistance).This module is
prepared to help you achieve the required competency interpreting aspects of Ethiopian
tourism heritages will be the source of information for you to acquire knowledge and skill
in this particular trade with minimum help from your instructor. With the aid of this
material you will be acquire the competency independently and at your own place.

Take to your trainer and agree on how you will both organize the training of this unit.
Read through the learning guide carefully. It is divided in to three sections which cover all the
skills and knowledge you need to successfully complete this module. Work through all the
information and complete the activities in each section. Read information sheets and
complete the self check suggested references are included to supplement the materials
provided in this module; that is:-
Summary of Learning Outcomes: After completing this learning guide, you should be
able to:

1. Consult with the local community

2. Identify and interpret aspects of Ethiopian tourism heritage for customers
How to Use this TTLM

o Read through the Learning Guide carefully. It is divided into five sections
that cover all the skills and knowledge that you need.
o Read Information Sheets and complete the Self-Check at the end of each
section to check your progress

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o Read and make sure to Practice the activities in the Operation Sheets.
Ask your trainer to show you the correct way to do things or talk to more
experienced person for guidance.
o When you are ready, ask your trainer for institutional assessment and
provide you with feedback from your performance.

LEARNING GUIDE

Learning Activities Special Instructions/Resources

Read topics & sub topics on consult with the Refer to Information Sheet #1
local community
Answer Self-Check # 1 Compare your answers with Model Answer
#1
Read topic and sub topic identify and interpret Refer to Information Sheet #2
aspects of Ethiopian tourism heritage for customers
Answer Self-Check # 2 Compare your answers with Model Answer
#2

Information sheet #1
LO1:- Consulting with the local community
Consulting appropriate community members about tourism heritage activities, includes
what information can be shared, who can give information to whom, who can receive the
information, what activities are appropriate and who should be involved.
What is heritage?

Heritage means something that has been inherited.

The word includes the concept of transmission for the past to the future. Heritage means,
in fact, be considered a legacy that we receive from our ancestors and have to pass on to
the future generation.
Cultural heritage is the creative expression of a people‟sexistence in the past, near past,
and present. It tells us about tradition, the beliefs and the achievement of a country and its
people. We can distinguish two kinds of cultural heritages: they are tangible and
intangible heritages.Tangible heritages also called material heritages(it can be physically
touched) such as monuments, buildings, statues, paintings, objects, etc… intangible
heritage is also called immaterial ` . Such as music, dance, literature, theatre, languages,
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religious ceremonies, traditional performances, etc… tangible heritages, in its turn,

comprises movable (it can be easily moved from one place to another, i.e. objects and
immovable heritages ( itcannot be removed from its place of origin, i.e. buildings). At
present the word heritages includes both cultural and natural heritages. While many
heritage properties classified as either as cultural or natural sites, some can be a mixture
of both belonging to a new category called “mixed heritages”. It is common that a
cultural heritages item combines one or more of the following categories.
 Architecture works and monuments
 Historical centers
 Groups of buildings
 Museums
 Archives
 Libraries
 Archaeological sites
 Cave dwellings
 Cultural landscapes
 Historical parks and gardens

Natural heritages include:

 Landscape of natural beauty
 Geographical and physical formation having scientific and aesthetic values
 Delineated that that constitutes the habitat of threatened species of animals
and plants such as natural and maritime parks.

Self check #1
1. What is heritage?
2. What is cultural heritage?

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Answer
1. Heritage is something that has been inherited.
2. Cultural heritage is the creative expressions of people‟s existence in the past, near
past and present.

Information sheet #2
LO2: identify and interpret aspects of Ethiopian tourism heritage for
customers.
Identify Ethiopian tourism heritages Interpret heritage of Ethiopian tourism for
customers to the level that is appropriate for the particular customer.
Brief customers on how to appropriately behave at heritage sites
Make customers aware of local customs, valuable heritage. Show respect for Ethiopian
culture and values through appropriate personal behavior during activities.Show
customers traditional and contemporary practices when appropriate, and in a manner that
enhances their understanding of Ethiopian heritage.Use local language correctly and
share with customers when appropriate.
Invite customers to actively participate and share in the Ethiopian local cultural
experience and appreciate the heritages when appropriate.
WHAT IS TOURISM HERITAGE?
Tourism heritage is a personal encounter with traditions, history, and culture. Tourism
heritage is based on the concept that each community has a story to tell. This is a rapidly
growing niche market that is directed towards experiencingthe local customs, traditional
arts, history, sites, and culture that authentically represent a particular place.
Some of the highlights of cultural heritages of Ethiopia are the following:
 The arts
 Dance
 Music:- there are two music church music and secular music
 Song
 Literature
 Theatre
 Architecture
 Painting
 Archaeological and paleontological attractions

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 Religious festivals:- many tourists plan their tip to Ethiopia in such away that it
will include one of the colorful Christian orthodox festivals.
Meskel (the finding of the true cross) 27 September, is a two-day, very colorful
festival. Bonfires are topped by a cross, to which flowers (meskel daisy) are tied.
After the bonfires are blessed, which takes place during a long ceremony, they
are a set on fire and dancing and singing begins around them. Addis Ababa,
Gondar and Aksum are good places to experience meskel.
Timket(epiphany, celebrating Christ‟s baptism): 19 January, this is three day
festival is the most colorful of the year. Gondar is the best place to for timket.
Addisabeba is also good.
Fasika(orthodox Easter): march/April, fasika marks the end of a long vegetarian
fast of 56 days. When the fasting is over, Ethiopians enjoy good food with family
and friends.
Leddet( Christmas) : 6-7january. Ethiopian Christmas is not celebrated on 25-26
December. Lalibella and Addis Ababa are the best places to experience leddet.
Kiddusyohannes( New Year‟s day): 11 September. This is an important family
and social event. New clothes are bought for the occasion and friend‟s relatives
are visited.
Festival of maryam Zion: 30 November. This festival is exclusively to aksum.
There is much singing and dancing, celebrating the church of st. Maryam of
Zion, in which the ark of covenant is said to house in.
Some highlight of Natural heritages of Ethiopia include the followings

 Rivers and lakes  Climate

 Caves  Sunshine

 Beaches  Rainfall

 Rock faces  Valley

 Forests  Mountains etc..

 Wildlife-flora and fauna

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2.2 Interpreting heritage of Ethiopian tourism

Interpretation and heritages
„‟heritages‟‟ include both cultural and natural heritages as discussed above.
Such as art, history, religion, landscape, natural heritages, dance, music, storytelling,
tools andimplements, cultural foods and medicine.
„‟Heritage interpretation‟‟ is an educational activity which aims to reveal meanings and
relationships, rather than simply to communicate factual information.‟‟

Heritage interpretation is an integral part of heritage tourism.

Heritage interpreters are dressed in period costumes.
Heritage interpretation is the communication of information about, or the explanation of,
the nature, origin, and purpose of historical, natural, or cultural resources, objects, sites,
and phenomena, usingpersonal or non-personal methods.
The focus of heritage interpretationmay include:

 art  dance
 history  music
 religion  storytelling
 land escape/land marks  tools and implements
 natural heritages  cultural foods and medicine

Heritage experiencemay take place in andmay include:

 Galleries  local villages

 cultural centres  paleontological sites
 churches and mosques  archaeological sites
 museums  natural sites
 traditional restaurants  local villages

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Interpreting and identifying world heritage sites of Ethiopia that are registered under

(
UNESCO United Nations, educational, scientific and cultural organization )
Historical evidences have proven that Ethiopia is a country with a history that goes 3000
years back. Like many other aspect of Ethiopia, the history of the country is unique and
intriguing. Thus being an ancient country has enabled Ethiopian to accumulate an
enormous amount of cultural relics. More over the country is also endowed with a variety
of natural resources. Accordingly, Ethiopia stands top in Africa to register 9 world
heritage sites under UNESCO.

1. Simien National Park (added to the list in 1978):

Comprising one of the principal mountain massifs of Africa, the Simien Mountains are
made up of several plateaus, separated by broad river valleys. A number of peaks rise
above 4000m, including RasDashen. It has been registered by UNESCO in 1978.

The dramatic landscape of the Simien Mountains is the result of massive seismic activity
in the area about 40 million years ago. Molten lava poured out of the Earth's core
reaching a thickness of 3000m. Subsequent erosion over the millennia has left behind the
jagged landscape of the Simien Mountains: the gorges, chasms and precipices. The
famous pinnacles - the sharp spires that rise abruptly from the surrounding land - are
volcanic necks: the solidified lava and last remnant of ancient volcanoes.

The mountains are home to three of Ethiopia's larger endemic mammals: the walia ibex,
the more common gelada baboons, and the very rarely seen simien fox.
Simien National Park has been inscribed on the World Heritage List in Danger since
1996.

2. Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela (1978)

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It was registered by UNESCO in 1978.

Lalibela: A true wonder of the world not “built” but “hewn” and intricately curved from
Virgin rock, are unable to believe that the rock churches are entirely made by man. They
attribute their creation to one of the last Kings of the Zagwe Dynasty, king Lalibela, in
the 12th Century. Lalibela is internationally renowned for its 11 rock-hewn churches
which are sometimes called the eight wonders of the World.

The town of Roha, now known as Lalibela, is the site of eleven remarkable rock churches
which rank with the major wonders of the world. They are different from most ordinary
churches as they have been cut in one piece out of the solid rock and are frequently
connected by tunnels. Many historians believe that all or at least some of these churches
were built by King Lalibela. Some legends claim that the workers were helped by angels
who did three times as much in the night as they did in the day. It is probable that some
of this work dates from before the time of Lalibela (1190-1225).

Coming to Lalibela you will find an atmosphere of mystery approaching the village in a
vehicle drive from the airport you may just catch a glimpse of a group of churches.

Walking through the village you will see the quite, even austere, mountainous landscape
of the region of Lasta, where the peasants labor to cultivate their patches of stony fields
with the traditional hook-plough. Strolling along across a gently undulating meadow, you
will suddenly discover in a pit below you a mighty rock-carefully chiseled and shaped-
the first rock church! None of these monuments of Christian faith presents itself to the
visitors on top of a mountain as a glorious symbol of Christ‟s victory, to be seen from far
away by the masses of pilgrims on their road to the “Holy City”; they rather hide
themselves in the rock, surrounded by their deep trenches, only to be discovered by the
visitor when standing very close on top of the rock and looking downwards.

The town of Roha-Lalibela lies between the first and the second group of churches, one
on each side of the river Jordan, and one other church set apart from the rest.
There are twelve churches and chapels, including various shrines. Four churches are
monolithic in the strict sense; the rest remainders are excavated churches in different
degrees of separation from the rock. The walls of the trenches and courtyards contain
cavities and chambers sometimes filled with mummies of pious monks and pilgrims.

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The First Group of Churches

The churches of the first main group lie in their rock cradles one behind the other north of
the river Jordan. The original approach might well have been from the river Jordan upto
the churches Glogota-DebreSina (Mika‟el) in the west. The whole complex, seen in an
east-westerly directions, may be divided in to three smaller groups; Bet
MedhaneAlem(House of the Redeemer of the World) in the east, the Bet Maryam(the
house of Mary), Bet Maskal (the house of the cross), Bet Danaghel(the house of the
Virgins or Martyrs) group in the center, and the twin church Bet Golgota(The house of
Golgotha)- Bet DebreSina (Mika‟el) with the Selassie Chapel and the tomb of Adamin
the west. While each sub-group has a courtyard of its own, the whole complex is
surrounded by a deep outer trench.

The second group of churches

Approaching the town of roha-Lalibela from the south, you will see, south of the river
Jordan, a bastion of red tuff severed from the rock plateau in the north, east and south by
a broad tral trench (partly filed up with earth today) cuts this area into two parts, leaving
at its end a cone-shaped hill. An old entrance led from this central trench to the
sanctuaries mainly by way of narrow subterranean passages. Only later on were the
churches connected with the outer trench by small, roughly cut trenches in the courtyard.
The original function of this complex of churches has not yet been clarified. Two of them
were certainly planned as such, Bet Emanuel and Bet Abba Libanos. They have a proper
church plan and oriented to the east. Were the other two, as authorities claim, part of the
residence of the Zagwe, once displaying the splendor of a royal court where embassies
from neighboring kingdoms were received? If so, since the fall of the Zagwe, those too
have become churches.

This second group comprises, from east to west, the churches and sanctuaries of Bet
Emanuel (The house of Emanuel), Bet Mercurios (The house of Mercurios), Bet Abba
Libanos (The house of Abba Libanos), the Chapel of Bet Lehem (The chapel of
Bethlehem) and Bet Gabriel-Rufa‟el (The house of Gabriel & Raphael or the house of the
Archangels).

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Bet Giorgis(The house of St George)

The monolithic Bet Giorgis- dedicated to the national saint of Ethiopia- is isolated from
the other two groups of churches. It is located in the southwest of the village on a sloping
rock terrace. In its deep pit with perpendicular walls it can only be reached through a
tunnel which is entered from some distance away through a trench.
Other Churches to be reached from Lalibela

While in Lalibela you may wish to make tours to some of the other churches in the
vicinity. Access to these churches often requires long walks and stiff climbs or rides by
mule. We would suggest a four-day tour to the churches of the Bilbala district, including
the beautiful built-up cave church YemrehannaKrestos, the tiny rock church
ArbatuEntzessa, BilblaGiorgis and in particular BilbalCherqos. The last church of this
tour would be SarsanaMika‟el. A visit to Genata Maryam might be planned together with
an excursion to MekinaMedhaneAlem.

NB: please look our Sites of Interest page for the details of the Other Churches to be
reached from Lalibela.

The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are exceptionally fine examples of a long-

established Ethiopian building tradition.

3. FasilGhebbi(1979)

FasilGhebbi, Gondar Region registered in 1979, is the remains of a fortress-city that was
the residence of the Ethiopian emperor Fasilides and his successors.

The founder of Gondar was Emperor Fasiladas who, tiring of the pattern of migration that
had characterized the lifestyle of so many of his forefathers, moved his capital here in
1636 AD. By the late 1640s he had built a great castle here, which stands today in a
grassy compound surrounded by other fortresses of later construction. Fine castles,
churches and other buildings were later built by Emperor Yohannes I (1667-162), Iyasu I
(1682-1706), Dawit III (1716-1721), and Iyasu II (1730-1755).

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In addition to this castle, Fasiladas is said to have been responsible for the building of a
number of other structures. Perhaps the oldest of these is the EnqulalGemb, or Egg
Castle, so named on account of its egg-shaped domed roof. Other buildings include the
royal archive and the stable.

Beyond the confines of the city to the north-west by the Qaha River there is another fine
building sometimes associated by Fasiladas - a bathing palace. The building is a two-
storey battlemented structure situated within and on one side of a rectangular pool of
water which was supplied by a canal from the nearby river. The bathing pavilion itself
stands on pier arches, and contains several rooms which are reached by a stone bridge,
part of which could be raised for defense.

Besides such secular buildings, Fasiladas is reputed to have erected no fewer than seven
churches, as well as seven bridges.

4. Aksum (1980)

Registered in 1980 the city of Aksum came in to existence around 300 B.C. it took its
name from its capital Aksum, and occupied a stretch of northern Ethiopia, with Adulis as
its principal port. As the capital of a state that traded with ancient Greece, Egypt and
Asia. With its navies sailing as far afield as Ceylon, Aksum later became the most
important power between the Roman Empire and Persia and for a while, controlled parts
of South Arabia.

They also used coins of gold, silver and copper, which were first produced by the kings
of Aksum around 250 A.D.

Aksum, the extensive ruins of which can still be seen, was an important city. Its buildings
included impressive stone palaces and temples. Its ruler put up the famous obelisks, or

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stelae, which were beautifully cut of single pieces of stone. They left stone inscriptions,
written in Ge‟ez (classic Ethiopian), Sabean (language of South Arabia) and Greek,
describing the military campaigns of the time.

They suggest that it was from Aksum that Makeda, the fabled Queen of Sheba, journeyed
to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem. Legend has it that a son was born to the Queen from
her union with Solomon. This son, Menelik I, grew up in Ethiopia but travelled to
Jerusalem as a young man. There he spent several years before coming back to his own
country with the fabled Ark of the Covenant. The Ark, according to Ethiopian belief, has
remained in Aksum ever since.

By digging on the sites of Aksumite towns and cities and by examining the old
inscriptions it has been possible to unearth a wealth of information about this great
civilization of ancient times and to gain a fair understanding of the way of life of its
people. Many of the treasures unearthed are to be seen in the National Museum and in the
museum at Aksum.
5. Tiya (1980)

The site is located between Addis Ababa and Butajira about 88 kilometers south of
Addis. It is about 50 km from the archeological site of MelkaKunture. The prehistoric site
of Tiya houses another collection of some 30 intricately carved stelae and is probably an
ancient burial ground. The stelae are not soaring monoliths as in Axum, but they contain
depictions of swords and various enigmatic symbols not found in other regions.
According to UNESCO, these are the remains of an ancient Ethiopian culture whose age
has not yet been precisely determined. The erection of megalithic monuments such as
these is a very ancient tradition in Ethiopia.
6. Lower Omo Valley (1980)

The Lower Valley of the Omo River is a prehistoric site where many hominid fossils
have been found. They are of fundamental importance in the study of human evolution. It
has been registered in 1980
Several hominid fossils and archaeological localities, dating to the Pliocene and
Pleistocene, have been excavated by French and American teams. Fossils belonging to
the genera Australopithecine and Homo have been found at several archaeological sites,
as well as tools made from quartzite, the oldest of which date back to about 2.4 million
years ago.
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7. Lower Awash Valley (1980)

Registered in 1980, the valley of the Awash River is one of the most important
paleontological sites on the African continent. It is here that in 1974 the skeleton
fragments of 'Lucy' were found, who is estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago

8. Walled City of Harar- Jugol (2006)

On the Eastern part of the country, perched at the end of a spur projecting from the
Central plateau, lays the old walled city of Harar redolent of the Middle Eastern world.
Five massive gates in the walls of the city center stand testimony to the need for strong
defense, against past intruders. This city was founded 1,000 years ago, around the 10th or
11th century AD when it began to establish itself as an important center of the Islamic
faith on the African continent and built cultural, religious and commercial links with
other parts of the Muslim world.
Harar is a fortified historic town in southeastern Ethiopia. It has been a major commercial
center, linking African and Islamic trade routes.
It has been recognized by Unesco as 'an inland urban settlement with a distinct
architectural character and social organization, which cannot be compared to any other
town in East Africa. It was registered in 2006.'
It is considered "the fourth holiest city of Islam" with 82 mosques and 102 shrines. The
Islamic is town characterized by a maze of narrow alleyways and forbidding facades.
9. Konso cultural landscape (2011)

The Konso people are famous by their terraced agricultural landscapes, remarkable feats
of human engineering and social organization. Which enabling for the conservation of
soil and water as well as the cultivation of food. Indigenous terraced landscapes are all
the more valuable because they have been produced by the people themselves and
maintained for several hundred years, evidencing a valuable degree of sustainability.
Konso cultural landscape registered the 9th world heritage site of Ethiopia in 2011 world
heritage session in Bahrain.

They have also a community system in their village where people live close together as
other African village and densely populated area in the country. There is also a wooden
statue called Waka that erected on the burial for the konso warrior which has a cultural
and traditional value in Konso people and also the Generational pole erected in
communal place in the village called Mora.

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When a hero or important man has died, waga figure are carved in his honor. They are
placed in and around the fields, and not necessarily where the man has been buried. The
deceased is usually represented in the center of the waga group and flanked by his wife.
On the outside stand any enemies he may have killed, carved in an abstract and phallic
fashion. Fierce animals he has slain, such as leopard, lion or a crocodile, will also be
depicted and placed at his feet. In front of the central figure, representing the deceased is
his shield on his forehead a phallic symbol is carved.

Self chek#2
1. List the nine world heritage sites of Ethiopia that are registered under UNESCO.

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Answer
 Simien National Park (added to the list in 1978):
 Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela (1978)
 FasilGhebbi(1979)
 Aksum (1980)
 Tiya (1980)
 Lower Omo Valley (1980)
 Lower Awash Valley (1980)
 Walled City of Harar- Jugol (2006)
 Konso cultural landscape (2011)
2. Elaborate the acronym UNESCO.
United Nations, Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

Thank You!!!

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