Ever since before history started, human creativities of different arts which are today’s great mystery of the world were erected, carved out and constructed with diversified motives and reasons. Though the exact reasons and motives are not yet fully identified.
Ethiopia is old, having its culture and traditions dating back to 3000 years and is famed for its age old mysterious archeological findings and ancient civilizations which are supposed to have commenced during the pre-Axumite kingdom of today’s Axum. This kingdom was supposed to have ruled including Arab countries crossing the red sea, having its main port of Adulis. It was through this port that people of that time used to make trade contacts with foreign countries such as Arabia and Greece, the influence of which is still found on the ancient inscriptions of Axumite kingdom. People of the pre-axumite kingdom were believed to have come from Arabia across the red sea along with their civilizations. Axumite civilization hence resulted in the erection of the fabled stelea of Axum, palaces and monuments.
Axumite kingdom later declined owing to different factors both internal and external, following the downfall olled Zaf this kingdom, a non solomonic Dynasty, but urdent Christian called Zagwe dynasty which mean ‘dynasty of the Agew’ came to power in the 12th century making its capital at Roha of lasta, today’s lalibela of Bugna, rich in miraculous and incredible architectures never found elsewhere in the world. Being the successor of the axumite kingdom, the architecture found in lalibela does have an axumite influence. The dynasty of the Agew was mostly engaged in constructing churches out of which the most dominant are the rock hewn churches of lalibela hewn out by king lalibela himself.
As power struggle was and is natural, a Christian solomnic dynasty ruler known by the name Yekuno Amlak along with a relgiuos person Aba Tekle haimanot overthrew the illegitimate rule of the Zagwe Dynasty and restored solomonic dynasty in the 13th c. making his capital in shoa of Debrebirhan, then after in the 14th century the capital was shifted from the highlands of shoa to the lake Tana region by Minas and later to enfranz, not far from lake Tana by king SetseDingil.
Like the Zagwe rulers, the solomonic dynasty rulers were also dedicated Christians hence Tana monasteries were mostly built in the 14th century by Made Tsion for the security of the churches treasures.
The historical city of Gondar founded by Fassiledes in the 17th century was the successor of Gorgora, king Fassiledes to make his capital inaccessible by the muslim state attacks and to get free from malaria stricken areas of lake Tana, shifted the capital from Gorgora to Gondar. The rise of Gondar hence attributed to the Islamic invasion of the 16th century. This historical site which had been the capital of Ethiopia for more than 200 years is well know tourist destination because of its beautiful castles.
Between the years of 1550 to 1580 the oromos from Bale sidama and other areas moved to the south eastern, central and northern Ethiopia for economic reasons. As the Oromos were expanding towards these areas, the feudal administration gradually declined and as they went to the south east, the sultanate of Harar was greatly troubled and reduced it only to a limited territories and walled it to make blockage against the oromos, and made the walled city of Harar.