Ethiopia’s immense cultural, palaeontological and natural wealth is reflected in its tally of nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the most of any country in Africa. Eleven of these Twelve sites are cultural, and one - the Simien Mountains National Park - is natural. Two other sites in Ethiopia are currently under consideration by UNESCO as Tentative World Heritage Sites.
- The mediaeval complex of rock-hewn churches at Lalibela is sub-Saharan Africa's most breathtaking historical site, comprising as it does eleven churches and two chapels excavated in the 12th century.
- Founded more than 3,000 years ago, the ancient capital of Aksum - surrounded by towering obelisks and ruined palaces dating back to its heyday - was once home to the Queen of Sheba and is now reputedly the last resting place of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant.
- The Fasil Ghebbi at Gondar - dubbed the Camelot of Africa - is renowned for its fairytale castles and intricately decorated churches built during imperial Ethiopia’s 17th century prime.
- The walled citadel of Harar Jugol is the the fourth-holiest city in the Islamic world, after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, and its 48 hectares are crammed with an incredible 82 mosques and 438 other shrines.
- The most striking feature of the Konso Cultural Landscape is its warren-like terraced hilltop villages and anthropomorphic wooden grave-markers known as waka.
- Ethiopia’s only Natural World Heritage Site, Simien Mountains National Park is renowned for its spectacular montane scenery and the presence of endemic animals such as Walia ibex and gelada baboon.
- A short drive south of the capital Addis Ababa, Tiya is an archeological site comprising 36 engraved megaliths or stelae erected in mediaeval time as to mark a mysterious burial complex of unknown cultural affiliations.
- Though not geared towards tourism, the Lower Valley of the Awash River is one of Africa’s most important paleontological sites, having yielded numerous important hominid fossils including the 3.2-million-year old Australopithecus afarensis female nicknamed Lucy.
- The Lower Valley of the Omo River is another important but difficult-to-explore paleontological region, having yielded Australopithecus and Homo fossils dating back 2.4 million years.
- Irecha (Thanks giving to God): One of the prominent Oromo Society core cultures which is widely celebrated every year in September on Sunday following the finding of the true cross festival.
- Chambalaalla-Fichee: the Sidama peoples New Year Celebration at Gudmale, Awassa. Chambalaalla is a day where series of cultural festivities take place. Fichchee is the eve of Cambalaalla. Sidaama exercises lunar system of calendar. There is no fixed date for it but an ascetic group of elders, after dealing with the movements of moon, star and other sky bodies, declare the eve of Chambalaalla-Fichee
- Meskel (the finding of the true cross) is said to be in memory of the finding of the true cross by Empress Eleni of Ethiopia.The eve of Meskel (26th of September) is called Demera. A huge bonfire is built, topped with a cross to which flowers are tied..