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All Ethiopia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Ethiopia

18 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Ethiopia

Updated April 17, 2023

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Cities

"Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum.
Addis Ababa
Dallol
Afar Zone 2
The Chapel of the Tablet
Aksum
Ben Abeba Restaurant
Lalibela
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Food & Drink
Map
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Stories

Unusual Attractions in Ethiopia

Ben Abeba Restaurant

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Ben Abeba

An otherworldly restaurant perched on the edge of a jagged cliff next to a medieval holy city.
Bete Giyorgis

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Bete Giyorgis of Lalibela

An Ethiopian "Jerusalem" featuring a church hewn out of a single rock.
Dallol

Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia

Dallol

The hottest place on the planet.
Erta Ale by Night

Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia

Erta Ale

Ethiopia's "smoking mountain" is in one of the hottest regions on the planet and is home to two lava lakes.

Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Manyate Coffee Village

An Ethiopian cloud forest protects some of the last wild arabica plants.
Priest sitting outside the entrance to Abuna Yemata church.

East Tigray, Ethiopia

Abuna Yemata Guh

Reaching the "Church in the Sky" requires scaling the cliff face of a sandstone pinnacle with a 650-foot drop.
The Chapel of the Tablet

Aksum, Ethiopia

Chapel of the Tablet

Supposedly this Ethiopian chapel holds the Ark of the Covenant, guarded by virgins who cannot leave the building.

Aksum, Ethiopia

Obelisk of Axum

Massive stele returned to Ethiopia after 70 years in Rome.
See All 18 Things To Do in Ethiopia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Ethiopia

Ben Abeba Restaurant

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Ben Abeba

An otherworldly restaurant perched on the edge of a jagged cliff next to a medieval holy city.

Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Manyate Coffee Village

An Ethiopian cloud forest protects some of the last wild arabica plants.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Ethiopia

Sacred Spaces 6
Ecosystems 5
Geology 4
Churches 3
Geological Oddities 3
Archaeology 3

Ethiopia Leaderboard

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Stories About Ethiopia

Podcast: Bete Giyorgis of Lalibela

Explore an Ethiopian "Jerusalem."
by The Podcast Team
April 17, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: The Signs of Ethiopian Identity

by Alex Bellos
January 16, 2023

Podcast: Fendika Cultural Center

Keeping a unique Ethiopian musical tradition alive in the nation’s capital, in the face of breakneck urban development.
by The Podcast Team
December 8, 2022
A farmer in Ethiopia cradles a handful of maslin, mixed grains including different varieties of wheat and barley that are grown together.

This Nearly Lost Ancient Grain Tradition Could Be the Future of Farming

A past global staple you've never heard of, maslins are poised for a comeback.
by Gemma Tarlach
October 13, 2022
Supersize this guy by about 400 pounds, and you get some idea of the prehistoric Enhydriodon omoensis.

In Prehistoric Ethiopia, Otters Were as Big as Lions

But they didn’t eat our ancestors—probably.
by Sarah Durn
September 21, 2022
Sulfurous springs in the Danakil Depression discharge brine and acidic liquid.

Searching for the Limits of Life in Earth’s Most Extreme Environment

In Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, a continent is tearing itself apart, and volcanic chemicals fuel ecosystems unlike anything else on the planet.
by Robin George Andrews
November 22, 2021

Podcast: Yemrehanna Kristos Church

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
November 1, 2021
A view of a coffee forest in Ethiopia.

The Last Wild Coffee Forests

Plus four ways to eat and drink coffee that involve the whole plant.
by Alex Mayyasi
September 21, 2021

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