The Fasil Ghebbi (Amharic: ፋሲል ግቢ) is a fortress in Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. It was built in the 17th century by Emperor Fasilides and served as the home of Ethiopian emperors. Its architecture shows different styles from Portuguese, Hindu, and Arab cultures. Because of its historical value and unique design, the fortress was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The word "Ghebbi" in Amharic means a group of buildings or an enclosed area.
The complex includes Fasilides' castle, Iyasu I's palace, Dawit III's Hall, Empress Mentewab's castle, a chancellery and library built by Yohannes I, a banqueting hall from Emperor Bakaffa, stables, and three churches: Asasame Qeddus Mikael, Elfign Giyorgis, and Gemjabet Mariyam.
In 2025, the Fasil Ghebbi received preservation work.
History
The Fasil Ghebbi was built after a long tradition in Ethiopia where emperors traveled through their lands, living with the people and staying in tents. Because of this, the area was often called a katama, meaning a camp or a fortified settlement, or makkababya, a name used for the emperor’s camp in old records. Emperor Fasilides changed this tradition by creating the city of Gondar as his permanent capital. This made Gondar an important place in history. In Gondar, Fasilides ordered the construction of a large building called the Fasil Ghebbi, also known as Fasilides Castle. Later emperors, including Yohannes I, Iyasu I, and Dawit III, added their own buildings to the same compound, making the area much larger. The buildings were made of brown basalt and decorated with local red stone. The palaces looked like forts and were often decorated with paintings and manuscripts, which were usually created for churches and nobles.
A Yemeni visitor named Hassan ibn Ahmad al-Haymi, who saw the palace in 1648, said the architect was an Indian man named Abdal Kerim. He had previously worked on the palace of Emperor Susenyos I at Danqaz. Old records say that the buildings of Yohannes I and Iyasu I were designed by an Ethiopian architect named Walda Giyorgis, who was described as skilled and well-known. Most of the labor for the buildings was done by Ethiopian Jews, known as Beta Israel, especially the Kayla clan. These people worked as masons, metalworkers, and carpenters, jobs that were not highly respected by others.
Al-Haymi was very impressed by the palace, calling it a grand house made of stone and lime, and one of the most beautiful buildings he had ever seen. The palace was the home of the royal family. In 1696, an Armenian man named Khoja Murad, who worked for the Ethiopian emperor, said there were at least 80 royal children who played freely in the palace. In the late 1950s, a visitor named Thomas Pakenham noted that many small buildings, like pavilions and kiosks, still remained around the palaces.
Many buildings at Fasil Ghebbi were damaged over time, but others were repaired by Italian forces in the 1930s and again after Ethiopia became independent. In 1979, UNESCO declared Fasil Ghebbi a World Heritage Site, noting that it shows how Ethiopian civilization developed near Lake Tana in the 17th century and influenced architecture for many years. The site also includes the Fasilides Baths, built by Emperor Fasilides, and the Imperial Complex of Empress Mentewab in Kuskam, which is a major tourist attraction in Ethiopia.
Description
Fasil Ghebbi covers an area of about 70,000 square metres (750,000 sq ft). To the south is Adababay, the marketplace of Gondar. This area was used for making official announcements, showing soldiers, and carrying out punishments for crimes. Today, Adababay is a city park.
Dawit's Hall is located in the northern part of the compound, near the building linked to Bakaffa and the church of Asasame Qeddus Mikael. This building is sometimes called the "House of Song." However, Stuart Munro-Hay suggests this name may result from a mistake in reading the Amharic words zofan bet ("House of the Divan" or "House of the Throne") as zafan bet. Munro-Hay describes the building as a large one-story structure with a round tower at the southeast corner. There are also signs of a smaller round tower at the northeast corner and a square tower at the northwest corner, though most of the square tower has collapsed. The inside of the building is a long hall with arched windows and doorways that provided light and access. As of 2002, Dawit's Hall does not have a roof.
Fasil Ghebbi is surrounded by a 900-metre-long (3,000 ft) wall with twelve gates. In order going counterclockwise, the gates are: Fit Ber (also called Jan Tekle Ber), which opens to Adababay; Wember Ber (Gate of the Judges); Tazkaro Ber (Gate of Funeral Commemoration), where a bridge was destroyed during the reign of Iyasu II; Azaj Tequre Ber (Gate of Azaj Tequre), once connected by a bridge to Adababay Tekle Haymanot church; Adenager Ber (Gate of the Spinners), linked by a bridge to Qeddus Rafael church in the weaver's section of Gondar; Qwali Ber (Gate of the Queen's Attendants), near the modern entrance to Elfin Giyorgis church inside the compound; Imbilta Ber (Gate of the Musicians); Elfign Ber (Gate of the Privy Chamber), which led to the private rooms of Fasil Ghebbi; Balderas Ber (Gate of the Commander of the Cavalry); Ras Ber (Gate of the Ras), also known as Qwarenyoch Ber (Gate of the Qwara people); Ergeb Ber (Gate of Pigeons), also called Kechin Ashawa Ber (Gate of the Gifts); Inqoye Ber (Gate of Princess Inqoye, the mother of Empress Mentewab); and Gimjabet Mariyam Ber (Gate of the Treasury of Mary), which leads to the churchyard of Gimjabet Mariyam church.
Gallery
- Side entrance of Fasil Gemb
- Inside of Fasilides' Palace
- Palace of Iyasu I
- Palace of Iyasu I
- Royal library building
- Royal archive building