Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia, located in the Amhara region in the north of the country. The regional capital Bahir Dar (200,000 inhabitants) is located on its southern shore. Near Bahir Dar the Blue Nile River flows out of Lake Tana, which begins its course through North Africa here. Lake Tana is of good size (80 x 70 km) but unlike the big African lakes, it is not located in the great Rift Fault that zebrates East Africa. On the contrary, it is located at altitude (1800m) and surrounded by mountainous massifs at more than 4000m, including our precious Simien massif to the north! To the east are the Guna Mountains (4231m) and the Choke Mountains to the south (4154m).
Postcard of Lake Tana
Our humanitarian activities in Simien do not prevent us from taking a few moments to relax and discover Ethiopia's countless natural and cultural treasures. Knowing the country's history and major sites is undoubtedly a real added value for our work on building the Sona school. It was during the trip in April 2021, We spent two days at Lake Tana and Bahir Dar. We met our medical equipment supplier and took time to visit Lake Tana and its monasteries. We brought back some pictures for this video.
Bahir Dar, capital of the Amhara region
Bahir Dar is one of Africa's oldest cities. Initially a village of hunters and fishermen on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the town developed with Christianity. Indeed, the lake's many islands have long served as a refuge from Islamic and even, in more recent history, Italian invasions. It is said that the relics of the Ark of the Covenant, traditionally kept in Axum, were hidden in one of the island monasteries of Lake Tana to preserve them from invaders from the north. The town's location has made it an important trading centre for centuries. It is therefore a prosperous city that reached its apogee under the reign of the Negus Haile Selassie. The last emperor of Ethiopia wanted to turn it into the capital of modern Ethiopia. It has wide avenues lined with palm trees, giving it the air of a seaside resort. The Negus had a palace built on the heights of the city.
Bahir Dar is a very pleasant place to stay. The tourist infrastructure is well-developed, with many of Ethiopia's finest hotels and restaurants, particularly on the shores of Lake Tana. The lake and surrounding area are at an altitude of around 1800m. The climate is therefore hot (don't forget that we're in a tropical zone!) but with the advantage that diseases such as malaria are absent! We're clearly in a potential paradise! The town even has an airport with daily flights to Addis Ababa.
Tilapia, king of Lake Tana!
There is a great deal of fishing, although fortunately it is still very small-scale. As a result, there are still many fish stocks, with nearly 70 species of fish, 3/4 of which are endemic. Lake Tana was classified as a "biosphere reserve" by UNESCO in 2015. The star fish is undoubtedly the tilapia. It is served as a fillet or whole and grilled for the finest specimens (photo opposite).
Many other animals (which you can see in the video) are also present. First of all, countless birds: cranes, herons and cormorants are everywhere. As well as much larger birds such as pelicans and fish eagles. At the mouth of the Nile, visitors can see hippos. This is only possible by boat, as they live in the water and feed in areas of marsh-like vegetation with lots of papyrus. But visiting Lake Tana and its islands by boat is incredibly charming! And when you know that there are also a few crocodiles, you'll be happy to find yourself aboard a sturdy boat...
The monasteries of Lake Tana
The latest geographical surveys have counted 37 islands large enough to be named. Nineteen of these are home to a monastery and sometimes a small non-religious farming community. The monks who occupy these monasteries work a lot, especially at agricultural tasks which allow them to subsist and even to draw some income. On some of the islands, and more generally in the region, there are coffee plantations. The coffee that grows around Lake Tana and Bahir Dar is of excellent quality, the climate being particularly favourable.
Some of the monasteries are well worth a visit. They have generally been very well preserved since the 14th century, thanks to the hot, dry climate. They are richly decorated with paintings and each wall tells a story in the style of a comic strip, following codes that deserve to be explained by your guide. It's all fascinating and dazzling. And it's perfectly enhanced by the island setting, with its extraordinary flora and fauna that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.
Here begins the Blue Nile
The sources of the Blue Nile (Abbay for Ethiopians) are actually identified upstream from Lake Tana of course. Among the rivers feeding the lake, the Gilgel Abay is considered the true source of the Blue Nile. But it is when it leaves Lake Tana that the Blue Nile acquires its status as a continental river. Subjected to the regime of alternating dry and rainy seasons, the Blue Nile acquires an extraordinary power at the time of the monsoon! It is particularly spectacular about thirty kilometres from the lake, south of Bahir Dar, at the place called Tessessat where the sublime Nile Falls are located. A magnificent sight all year round, as the river's flow is regulated by hydroelectric power stations and dams. This will be the subject of a future postcard!
Support our action
We hope that you will have enjoyed this touristic and cultural escapade! But we are not losing sight of the objective of our presence in Ethiopia: to build a school in Sona, in the Simien, for one of the poorest populations in the world. Thank you for your support.
To write this article, I supplemented my information thanks to Wikipedia of course!