It is a large city with more than 200,000 inhabitants living in the west of the country. It is an important trading centre in Ethiopia which holds little interest for tourists.

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Meaning "New Flower" in Amharic, the capital of Ethiopia bears witness to its name: an huge city undergoing constant change.

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Hawzen is a Tigrayan village situated between Mekele and Aksoum) that, along with Wukro, has the best selection of accommodation. It's conveniently close to Tigray's most spectacular churches, including Mariam Korkor, Abouna Yemata and Debre Damo.

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Visiting Tigray's churches was a highlight of my trip to Ethiopia. I stayed in a superb ecolodge in Hawzen, before scaling the rocky outcrops that lead to the various churches. According to local priests, some date back to the 5th Century, although historians claim they were built between the 9th and 15th Centuries. 
Accompanied by the obligatory scout, guide and priest, the Abouna Yemata Church was the most impressive of them all. I ended up going barefoot in order to scramble up the cliff, with only the scout to support me. This was followed by a hair-raising, narrow path set in the rocks, which ran along the length of the cliff.
The paintings inside these orthodox churches are amazing and depict the religion's most famous saints. Abouna Yemata and its paintings are dedicated to the nine Syrian saints who were at the helm of Ethiopia's evangelisation. I was also extremely impressed by the Mariam Korkor, Abuna Daniel, Medhane Alem and Petros and Paulos churches.

Hawzen is a Tigrayan village situated between <a href="/ethiopia/">Mekele</a> and <a href="/ethiopia/">Aksoum</a>) that, along with Wukro, has the best selection of accommodation. It's conveniently close to Tigray's most spectacular churches, including Mariam Korkor, Abouna Yemata and Debre Damo.

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Design your perfect two week tour with a local expert in Ethiopia

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Hawzēn: How to get there?

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