AMBA MARIAM - MAQDALA

Amba Mariam is a very remote village located 3h30 from Dessié by road. It was known as Maqdala during the reign of Tewodros II (crowned emperor in 1855), but can be reached on foot from the larger town of Tenta below. Above all, it is essential to obtain permission to visit from the Ajibar administration, 10 km before Tenta. Ideally, a letter of permission can be issued by the tourist office in Dessié or by the police in Kombolcha. From Tenta, mules can be hired before setting off on the 4-hour hike required to reach the fortress perched at 3,000 m altitude. It's a good idea to bring camping gear and food with you, in case you can't make it back the same day.

This place alone sums up the fiery temperament and tragic destiny of this emperor, who has a special place in Ethiopian history and whose late reign seems to have been marked by bouts of madness. Because of his military exploits, Tewodros was nicknamed Meysaw (the Brave). In 1852, Tewodros embarked on a campaign against the lords of the north, expanding the kingdom as far as Aksum. During his reign, he attempted to combat slavery, build the first roads and organize a centralized political and fiscal system. He built up a truly national army. Contested and weakened domestically by local lords, he lost the support of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, ordering the redistribution of his lands to the peasants. At the same time, Tewodros embarked on an all-out struggle against the Muslims. He turned to England for military support. Vexed at not receiving a reply, the sovereign left his capital of Dabra Tabor and took refuge in the fortress of Maqdala, having taken some diplomats and missionaries hostage. Deaf to proposals for negotiations, he held captive the British delegation that had come to meet him.
The response was swift and, in January 1868, Lord Robert Napier, landing at the head of 30,000 men and backed by the Raz of Tigray, the future Yohannes IV, marched on Maqdala. Aware of the inequality of forces, Tewodros released the hostages and committed suicide. His body still lies in the church of Maqdala. Sebastopol, the imposing cannon that the sovereign had his hostages melt down, still stands there, emblematic of a megalomaniac despot.