Ethiopia was mainly ruled by Emperors till 1974, where a military coup overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie from power. The documentary looks at some of the major sites that had been built by former emperors and their significances. One of the outstanding things in this documentary is the form of architecture and cosmopolitan-ship by the look of the buildings. In addition, different emperors are isolated, which helps in preserving culture among the Ethiopians. It is crucial to note that most emperors believe that their power was from God and that some Ethiopians fell under King Solomon’s lineage. Given that Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa that was not colonized as a result of strong centralized army, the people were united. Both the Muslims and Christians were united when it came to foreign interference. For example, most Portuguese Jesuits were killed when they settled in Ethiopia. This form of unification is relevant to this paper because the documentary looks at different types of unique architectural techniques used by the former Ethiopian emperors. This paper examines how Christianity is deeply rooted in Ethiopia by looking at different
Gondar city has a unique architectural design where Emperor Fasilades built a unique castle. Though people believe that the type of design ought to have been influenced by outside forces, the building also reflects some of the traditional architectural designs. The castle symbolized majesty because Emperor Fasilades believed that he came from King Solomon’s lineage. It is fascinating that Emperor Fasiledes built a castle that brought internal stability among the Ethiopian people and also encouraged Christianity in that he believed that he was one of King Solomon’s descendants.
Lalibela is one of the outstanding cities in Ethiopia where ancient people unified to curve a church from a mountain. There are a total of eleven churches that have been curved out from hard rock by using traditional methods. Though Emperor Lalibella did not associate himself with King Solomon’s lineage, he believed his power was from God and that he has been anointed to lead the people. Given that the ancient people did not have modern technology to curve the rock, it is fascinating to view the different shapes that have been curved out for decoration. The Ethiopian people united to build the outstanding churches by curving out the mountain rock into alluring buildings. It is believed that Emperor Lalibella built it for greatness. However, one should not overlook the fact that mountain rock was curved in order for people to have places to worship, which implies a strong belief in Christianity.
The documentary looks at Debre Damo where a monastery had been built in isolation. This form of isolation is significant to the monks because it gives them a chance to fully practice Christian ethics and follow God’s word. The monastery is fascinating because of the unique architectural structure that has been integrated in order to make the structure strong because it has survived for a number of years. In the monastery, women are not allowed in the place as a way of ensuring the monks concentrate on their religious works. This is because women were seen as a distraction. Thus, Christianity ought to be significant and relevant among Ethiopians because most pilgrims visit the sanctuary as a form of belief and tradition.
Lastly, Aksum is one of the cities that symbolize greatness by the monumental architecture, royal thrones, and monasteries. Given that elites are highly respected in most societies, elites in Aksum were buried on a hill top that showed their greatness. It is crucial to note that that the monumental architectures were mainly inspired by the elites, which explains why they were highly respected. In addition, there were also monasteries in the region that meant that Ethiopians in Aksum believed in Christianity. Monasteries help in preserving culture because people lived in isolation and also they were beacons of scholarship.
In conclusion, it is evident that Christianity is a significant theme in Ethiopia. Given that some emperors believed that they were King Solomon’s descendants, they built churches so that people could worship and also help maintain stability in the empire. On the other hand, some Emperors such as Lallibela believed he was not King Solomon’s descendant but his power was God. This shows that both state and religion were interlinked during the ancient period in Ethiopia. It is clear that churches and monasteries symbolized how Christianity had been engrained in Ethiopia.
References
Howitt, S. (Director). (2010). Lost kingdoms of Africa [Documentary]. United Kingdom: Athena:
