Lake Zway, Freshwater lake in Rift Valley, Ethiopia
Lake Zway extends across 440 square kilometers with five distinct islands and maintains a maximum depth of nine meters in central Ethiopia.
The monastery on Tulu Gudo Island stored the Ark of the Covenant during the ninth century before its transfer to the city of Axum.
The lake supports local fishing communities who catch tilapia fish while traditional boats navigate between the numerous inhabited islands.
Visitors access boat trips from the jetty area to observe hippopotamuses and various bird species across the different sections of the lake.
The Maryan Tsion monastery preserves eighty ancient manuscripts dating back over one thousand years within its stone walls.
Elevation above the sea: 1,636 m
GPS coordinates: 8.00000,38.83000
Latest update: June 17, 2025 18:51
Ethiopia offers photographers a range of subjects from medieval architecture to geologically active zones. In the north, Lalibela features eleven churches carved from solid tuff rock during the 12th and 13th centuries, while Axum holds obelisks from the Aksumite Empire that flourished from the 1st to 10th centuries. The Gheralta region of Tigray contains dozens of churches built into cliff faces, accessible via steep trails.The landscape extends from the peaks of the Simien Mountains, rising above 15,000 feet (4,500 meters), to the Danakil Depression, one of the lowest and hottest places on Earth. Bale Mountains National Park supports Ethiopian wolves in afroalpine moorlands, while Awash National Park features acacia woodlands and hot springs. The walled city of Harar Jugol, with its 368 lanes and 82 mosques dating from the 16th century, displays Islamic architecture. The monasteries on Lake Tana islands hold manuscripts from the 14th to 18th centuries, and in Gondar, Fasil Ghebbi documents Ethiopian rule through its 17th and 18th century palaces and churches.
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