Begemder, Province in northern Ethiopia.
Begemder is a former province in northern Ethiopia, covering the highland areas around Lake Tana and the city of Gondar. The land is mostly mountainous, with deep valleys cutting through the high plateau and the lake forming a natural boundary to the south.
Begemder was one of the most powerful territories in the Ethiopian empire for centuries, and from the 17th century onward it was home to the imperial capital of Gondar. The province was dissolved after 1995, when a national administrative reform folded it into the newly created Amhara Region.
Begemder has long been tied to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and many monasteries and churches built centuries ago are still active today. Some of the most visited religious sites sit on small islands in Lake Tana, where monks continue to live and work.
The highlands are cool year-round, especially at higher elevations, so visitors should pack warm layers even when traveling in the dry season. The rainy season, usually from July to September, makes many roads harder to travel, so a dry-season visit is generally easier.
Gondar, the historic capital of Begemder, was one of the few cities in Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries with a permanent cluster of stone castles and palaces. This royal compound, now known as Fasil Ghebbi, is still standing in the city today.
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