History. See the future. It’s in the past.

Ethiopia is one of the most fascinating countries in Africa - it has historic towns, some of which date back to the time of the Roman Empire or the Crusades, magnificent churches and the ruins of palaces. The Ethiopian monarchs claimed descent from Menelik I, whom it was believed was the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Join us as we explore the history and culture of the Ethiopian monarchy which lasted until 1974. Left behind were some of the most impressive monuments in all of Africa.

We will begin with the impressive capital of Aksum, one of the great cities of Late Antiquity, where the kings both received ambassadors from Byzantine emperors and sheltered some early followers of the prophet Mohammed. After tracing the organisation and expansion of the Christian kingdom, we will examine in detail the particularities of the Ethiopian Orthodox church as background to an examination of the rock-cut churches created by the Zagwe dynasty at Lalibela. The history of contact with Europeans and growing Portuguese influence will be discussed as background to the 17th century palaces in Gondar. The 19th and 20th century monarchy will be treated with reference to colonial conflicts, modernisation and the development of Addis Ababa as the new royal capital. We end with the churches of Addis and palace of Haile Selassie, the last “Lion of the Tribe of Judah".

Aims

The aims of this course are to:

• develop your knowledge of Ethiopia's geography and historical chronology
• provide you with an understanding of the