Les Mille Visages de l’Éthiopie - Histoire et traditions - Documentaire voyage - AMP

Ethiopia has had great difficulty ridding itself of the stigma of last century's famines. But this great country, four times the size of the UK, has a wealth of historical and natural treasures. Come with us and discover the high plateaus in the north of the country, with their astonishingly rich cultural, ethnic and spiritual palette. Ethiopia is one of the world's oldest states, and this magnificently preserved Abyssinia, isolated for so long, deserves our attention. Addis Ababa is a mountain city with an average altitude of 2,400 metres. It's the highest capital in Africa, and the fourth highest in the world. In relation to the country's history, the capital, founded in 1882 by Emperor Menelik II, is quite new, and today is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom. This bus station at Maganania is one of the many serving the areas around the capital. Communal buses and taxis remain a popular method of transport, private cars being the preserve of the elite. Ethiopia's 91 million inhabitants speak Amharic, the official language of the country. Ethiopia was the only African country to escape European colonialism. Livestock and agriculture are the country's principal resources, and Ethiopia is Africa's leading producer of coffee. If the great market at Merkato has lost some of its prestige, the one at Chola remains a great place to find fruit, vegetables and spices, as well as insect. This is a paste made from the trunk of a type of banana tree which grows at an altitude of over a thousand metres. These trees, which do not bear any fruit, can have huge trunks. These are pounded into a puree, which is then chopped to cut the fibres. This paste is then used as flour for making bread, or even as a breakfast cereal. Spices and hot chillies play an important part in Ethiopian cuisine. Salt is brought in blocks from the north, where we will be going. The country has made great progress in its fight against malnutrition. When the weather is stable, which is to say when the rainy season is normal, Ethiopia has the capacity to store cereals, which can then be redistributed in times of need. St George's Cathedral is one of the capital's most iconic symbols. It was built in 1896 to celebrate the Ethiopians' victory over the Italians. It's also the church where the Emperor Haile Selassie was crowned. The country's last emperor is venerated by Rastafarians as the last descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. A nearby street is completely given over to ecclesiastical trappings, from robes for mass to other accessories. The Orthodox Christian Church is the country's dominant religion, especially in the north. Five people, two of them priests, are needed to celebrate the Eucharist. With the monks there too, that makes quite a lot of people. Piasa is one of the most beautiful areas of the city. Its avenues, which still show the influence of the Italian occupation, are full of jewellers. Historically, these shops were run by Ethiopian Jews, known as falachas. But since 1980, many of them have migrated towards Israel. The coffee ritual is anchored in the daily life of this country, which is the leading producer in Africa and also the home of the famous Arabica bean. Tomoka was the first establishment to offer coffee tasting. It was founded by an Italian in 1953 and then taken over by an Ethiopian 20 years later. Customers can choose from a range of varieties according to their taste and then settle down for a chat at the counter or at one of the little tables. The coffee is roasted in a back room in a heating drum dating from the last century. Service rattles along at a steady pace and even cappuccinos are on offer. You can also enjoy your coffee on one of the city centre's great squares and bask in the mild winter sunshine. At this altitude, the temperature stays at around 20 degrees. The Lion of Abyssinia, also known as the Lion of Judah, is the country's enduring symbol and for the nation's Christians represents Christ. This station has been dormant since the Addis Ababa Djibouti line was closed in 2008. It was built by the French between 1897 and 1917. A single track railway, 780 kilometres long, which had its finest hour during the 20s. Years of conflict gradually took their toll. Ethiopia is known for talented long-distance runners and the great world champions of recent years have usually come from the high plateaus of the south. Amateurs and professionals gather early in the morning or at dusk along Churchill Avenue. They all train hard in small groups. We now head north to the Amhara region and Bair Dar on the shores of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile. Here, as in the rest of the country, 93 percent of the population makes its living from farming and stock breeding. Every Saturday morning, the town square hosts the livestock market. Around the outside are goats and sheep and in the middle you'll find cattle and even the odd camel. The hard bargaining can often last up to half an hour. These shepherds are leaving without animals but with a smile that indicates that business has been profitable. Discussions in the cattle market are livelier still as the sums being negotiated are much higher. These animals are prized as much for their meat as for their ability to work. By mid-November, the majority of the crops have been harvested, the major religious festivals have been and gone and the wedding season is in full swing. Any excuse is good for a party even if it means stopping the traffic to have a dance or two. The village of Salche on the shores of Lake Tana is crossed by a dirt road mainly used by livestock and the occasional truck or motorbike taxi. The traditional houses are made from eucalyptus wood and dried mud. The locals grow teff, a delicate cereal used to make a kind of batter called injera which is made into a pancake that forms the basis of every meal. It can therefore be used over several days. It's eaten with lentils, meat or vegetables. Tamarie prepares injera for her whole family every two days. There are five of us in the family. This is where I prepare the injera. We'll have it with a puree made from peas. Around Salche, they grow a lot of kat. It's a bush that looks like tea but when the leaves are chewed, they produce a stimulating and euphoric sensation. Kat is greatly valued, not just in Ethiopia but also in neighbouring countries like Djibouti. Before storing the leaves he has picked, Jenanou puts some in his mouth briefly to make sure they're fresh. Despite its classification as a narcotic, the kat trade supports many families from around the village especially as it can be harvested all the year round. Bundles of leaves are sold to wholesalers who take them to Addis Ababa or Djibouti. Coffee is also a vital part of the village's diet and is mainly destined for family consumption. The largest commercial operations are in the south of the country. Jenanou's sister Maritou is 18 and is in charge of preparing the coffee. After the berries have been dried for around 10 days, the first stage of the operation is removing the beans from their husks. Next, Maritou sifts the beans to keep only those that are still green. The next stage is roasting, a vital process which helps release the coffee's aroma. It takes about 10 minutes to carefully toast the beans without burning them. The longer the roasting time, the more bitter the coffee will be. The final stage of the operation is grinding the beans between two stones. Only then will Maritou pour the ground coffee into a cafeteria filled with hot water. Incense made from the boswela tree is burned as part of the ceremony. Lake Tana is Ethiopia's largest lake, around 80 kilometers long and lying in a volcanic fissure. Surrounded by several mountain ranges, it is relatively shallow, its depth not exceeding nine meters, making it vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather and man's need for fresh water. To the north, away from the villages, on the shores of the Zege Peninsula, a handful of churches and monasteries dating from the 13th and 14th centuries are hidden in the forest. Every Sunday morning, the exhausted priests go home after a night of prayer. Oura Church was originally part of the Mercy Convent. Nothing about its outward appearance gives any clue to the riot of colors inside, where a series of gigantic paintings adorns the walls. Ethiopia was the second country after Armenia to convert to Christianity. Which took root in the 4th century, largely inspired by the Judaism practiced by the population at the time. Over the years, the Ethiopians added African-derived saints to their religious canon, so helping Christianity flourish throughout the country. The rich religious history is reflected in these often much-peopled frescoes, whose interpretation requires a profound knowledge of Ethiopian Christianity. The Zege Peninsula is covered in forests of eucalyptus trees, whose wood is used to build houses. We now rejoin Geneno, who having delivered his bundles of cat, is now laying nets close to the bank of the lake. He uses a tankwa, a traditional papyrus boat, which has been made in the same way for thousands of years from the giant papyrus, a plant that is endemic to the lake. Geneno lays the net a mere 100 meters from the shore, as the wind, should it get up, can make piloting this kind of canoe very tricky. He will come back for the nets at the end of the day to collect his catch. This usually consists of catfish called barbs, that he will sell in the village and will complement the family's resources. The Nile has a dual nature, as it's formed by the confluence of the white and blue Niles, which meet at Khartoum in the Sudan. But it's the shorter blue Nile, also known as the Abbey, which makes the greater contribution to the river's flow. Explorers during the last century endured great hardship while searching for the source of the Nile, which is now believed to be Lake Tana. However, the priests at Jis Abbey to the south, believe that God's tears flowing from the rock are its origin. But it's 30 kilometers from Bahirdar at Tisisat Falls, that the blue Nile demonstrates its power and beauty. 40 meters high, its flow varies depending on the rainfall. 60 kilometers east of Lake Tana, we must make a detour to visit the village of Ora Amba. Founded in 1986 by Zumra Nuru, it was created with the objective of building a social structure based on equality, regardless of race, gender, origin or even age. One of the village's fundamental principles is based on education. Even at kindergarten, children are taught not only the alphabet, but also ethics and human rights. Nowadays, the village has 460 residents from 140 families and mutual cooperation has superseded the utopian ideals of its early years. There is a home for old people, because the families in nearby villages often couldn't look after their seniors. Here they find a house just for them. If someone is tired to stop the work, we take responsibility. So this is one of the special. And these things we get from the founder. The houses are all built to the same specifications. They all have electricity and fresh water available nearby, so the kitchens are separate, in order that the smoke from the wood fires does not get into the main rooms. Everyone in the village works for the cooperative and gets the same salary. On top of this, everybody has to spend one day a week working with the sick and aged. As the poor quality of the soil does not allow anyone to live solely from agriculture, Ora Amba's inhabitants have diversified into weaving, milling and trade, as demonstrated by the three groceries and a trader's truck. The local small farmers can bring their cereals to a mill equipped with six electric grinding machines. The cooperative also has a weaving workshop with around 20 manual looms. Weaving is the cooperative's main source of revenue, followed by trade and then milling. Even if Ora Amba can henceforth be held up as an example, its economic stability is still fragile, and its founder, Zumra Nuru, still travels around in search of aid and inspiration from similar models. In the village bazaar, the young women examine deliveries and try on new dresses, which are due to be sold for a good price. Up on these high plateaus, around 2,400 meters above sea level, deforestation has wreaked havoc. Wood is used as fuel for heating and cooking, and now the great forests cover a mere 3% of the country. A little to the north, near Gondar, the village of Borbox is known throughout the land. Many of Ethiopia's greatest singers come from here, like 70-year-old Sisay Bogali. We have been singers for three generations. I started off performing with my father, then I started traveling around, first nearby to Gondar, then to Asmara, then all over the country. I sang from the age of 20 until I was 60. Then I stopped, and for the last 10 years, I've worked on the farm. How are you? Inseparable from the singer, the Masinko accompanies the sung stories of everyday life or of love. The singers often improvise their lyrics to include the names of those present. Sisay's three sons are also singers. One of them lives in Washington, where he performs for the city's large Ethiopian community. The nearby town of Gondar was the country's capital between 1634 and 1855. Aside from the fertile lands surrounding the city, Emperor Fasilada fell in love with this caravan crossroads between the Sudan, Egypt, and the Red Sea, where merchants traded gold, ivory, and slaves. A remnant of this era is the unique palace at Fasilada, which has been able to withstand the ravages of time and the successive invasions and devastation suffered after 1855 when the capital was moved to Magadala. We now climb eastwards up to 2,600 meters on the flanks of the Simeon Mountains at Lalibela. Virtually the whole population here is Orthodox Christian and has no hesitation in trekking for many hours along steep paths to make their way to what is considered to be Ethiopia's holy city. It's said that in 1187, during the time of the Zagwe dynasty, when the Muslims had taken control of Jerusalem, King Lalibela decided to build a replica of the holy city carved out of the volcanic rock face. This was a task that defied the imagination and that lasted 23 years. For many pilgrims, this group of monolithic churches represent a vital hub of Ethiopian Christianity. There are galleries allowing passage from one church to another. Today, Beta Mariam is being baptized. Six priests are celebrating mass. They come and go around the chancel, the Magdas, hidden from prying eyes behind great curtains. They alone are allowed to lay eyes on the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which according to the Bible holds the tablets on which the Ten Commandments are engraved. The original is said to be held at Aksum in the north and is the holiest relic of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Mass and the holy scriptures are spoken in Goz, a sacred language used only by the clergy. Mass will last an hour and a half with many meditative periods of silence. St. George's Church is the most famous example of the work achieved at Lalibela. Built in the shape of a cross with sides of 25 meters, it's 30 meters high. It's a freestanding structure clinging to the rock only by its foundations. It's been entirely excavated from the red volcanic rock of the plateau. Around 3,400 cubic meters of rock had to be removed from around the outside of the church to make the courtyard. From all over the Simeon Mountains at the end of the day, shepherds are heading home to Lalibela. Our journey now takes us to the northern province of Tigray and Aksum, the very ancient capital of the Aksumite Empire, which dominated commerce between Africa and Asia during the first millennium. This is the last big town before Eritrea and in its market, farmers from all around gather together. The ivory trade of yesteryear has been replaced by an ever-increasing range of fruit and vegetables. Spices and dry goods also take pride of place here. In a street parallel to the market, Ragat and her young sister, Fana, are preparing breakfast. She's just finishing kneading the dough for the very popular local bread known as ambasha. Fana, for her part, is engrossed in the time-consuming process of preparing the coffee. To make ambasha, you need yeast, spice, sugar, flour and water and then you have to knead for 20 minutes. Curiously, Fana serves popcorn while the coffee is brewing. This became commonplace a few years ago as it's a quick-to-prepare substitute for the bread of injera traditionally offered to guests while they waited for the coffee to be ready. The ambasha is ready to be cooked and resembles a thick pizza. A pot of chickpea puree is simmering on the stove. This will be served with the injera, the other traditional flatbread. Meals are eaten sitting around the central communal dish containing the injera and the chickpea puree and the piping hot ambasha on the side. Their mother is in the garden preparing chili peppers while the bees buzz around making aksums much sought after white honey. From the 1st century AD, the Aksumite empire was an advanced civilization with its own currency and its own alphabet which gave birth to the Gur's language still used today by orthodox priests. These obelisks are one of the most visually striking relics of this era symbolically representing palaces. The highest are over 30 meters tall. Simply resting on the ground, their balance was maintained by a system of underground counterweights. The highest columns were used to mark the location of the tombs of the sovereigns of the Aksumite empire. They are some of the world's biggest man-made monoliths. Recent excavations have revealed the presence of several royal necropolises some of which lie outside the perimeter of the stone columns and could have belonged to pre-Christian dynasties. This workshop belongs to Alemayu, a gold and silversmith. His is a skill passed down through the generations from father to son. In fact, Addis Ababa's best silversmiths are from Aksum. People here in Tigray love jewellery. In fact, many people come to us to get pieces made for them. Alemayu is working on a pair of silver earrings which have to be ready for a wedding tomorrow. Christmas is a very busy time for us. We make a lot of wedding gifts too. One thing that still stimulates debate between historians, archaeologists and Ethiopians is the life of the Queen of Sheba, particularly with regard to these ruins discovered at Aksum by a German team in 2008. Could they be the remains of her palace dating from the 10th century BC? In a neighbouring field, using a sequence of movements that have doubtless been repeated for thousands of years, locals are harvesting teff, a light and delicate cereal used to make injera. Although November is a dry season, all the families are working together to get the job done before the early evening storms arrive. Aksum is also considered a holy city. The new church can be seen near the church of St Mary of Zion. It was built in the early 60s by Emperor Haile Selassie. The old church of the same name is a sacred place, partly because it was the first church to be built in Ethiopia in the 4th century, but also because it was where all the country's emperors came to be crowned. Its priests jealously guard their holy texts. Taken from the Bible, these richly illustrated scriptures are written on goatskin parchments in gauze. The most important building, however, is a simple adjacent chapel which is said to house the Ark of the Covenant, which holds the tablets with the Ten Commandments. Legend has it that they were brought here by King Menelik, supposedly a son of Solomon. As no one other than a guardian monk is allowed to see the Ark, doubts persist over its authenticity. The town's spirituality is reflected in the creations of its artists. These triptychs are highly prized by visitors. It takes me all day to finish a triptych. It's very absorbing and painstaking work. Aksum is a holy city, and we have plenty of stories and characters as inspiration for our paintings. The housing is very different in Tigray province. Dwellings called hodumo are made of stone with thatched roofs. One family may have several huts around a central courtyard, allowing them to bring their livestock inside at the end of the day. People here mostly make a living from agriculture and animal rearing. Today, Adwa's villagers are paying tribute to the Archangel Michael and are wearing white cotton veils that symbolize purity. Outside the church, priests preach family values. Women are to the right of the church, opposite the men and dignitaries. At the height of the ceremony, the priests circle the church four times with the tabut, symbolizing the Ark of the Covenant and the tablets, covered by thick cloths. Drums and religious chanting take up the rhythm. Off to one side, a group of women pray together. It was also near Adwa that in 1896, the Italians suffered a humiliating defeat in their attempt to colonize the country. For now, the Teff harvest is over. The seeds are so fine that they have to be sifted on a day when there is no wind. Teff is becoming increasingly popular in Europe and the USA. It's highly nutritious, gluten-free, and can grow in extreme conditions like droughts and floods, and is also resistant to most diseases. This means that it could one day help to ease the burden of those families still living in poverty. Following the road north, we reach the high plateaus of Tigray, at over 3,000 meters above sea level, with their endless canyons and valleys. We then come to Mekelle, the country's northernmost town, close to the Eritrean border. It's also the point of departure for anyone heading down to the Danakil Depression. The Danakil Depression goes down to 120 meters below sea level, and one of the world's hottest places, where caravans of donkeys and camels load up with cargos of salt. Over 2,000 meters below Mekelle, the temperature is around 45 degrees in winter. The salt is temporarily stocked at Bere Ali, the last village before the great expanse of the Salt Lake. This is Afar territory, where the tectonic plates of the Arab, African, and Somali worlds meet. The flimsiness of the earth's crust allows the release of gas and magma, which are transformed by the heat and salt into a bizarre spectacle. Sulfurous gases serve as a reminder that there is nothing idyllic about these colors. Further on, strange towers made of gypsum, rock salt, and crystals announce the presence of the Salt Lake. Under the punishing sun, men carve up blocks of salt. Armed only with an old-fashioned adze, they trim the rough blocks into symmetrical slabs, seven or eight centimeters thick, honing them to an exact size so that they can be loaded onto camels. In some places, the salt crust is over 2,000 meters thick, deposited here by rainwaters trickling down from the peaks of the high plateaus through all manner of sediments before they evaporate in the ferocious heat. It's estimated that at this rate, salt reserves are practically limitless. The slabs are then tied together before being loaded onto the camels, which will then take them to the village of Bere Ali. Some of the lobe will make its way to the high plateaus. Some will go on donkeyback, as they're cheaper to feed than camels, while the rest will go by lorry. The arrival of tarmac to roads will probably signal the end of these legendary caravans. At dusk, the caravans meet, high up in the cool of the plateaus. Camels laden with hay for animal feed are ready to head down to the Danakil. We are back on the high plateaus of Tigray. The Girauta Mountains are home to a host of Christian sanctuaries, perching among the rocks and caves. At the foot of the mountains, in the village of Migab, something else is the centre of attention. Over a hundred sanctuaries are perched at high altitude, each with its own self-sufficient community of monks and hermits, praying and studying among kitchen gardens and a few head of livestock. Araya is 24 years old. Twice a week, he climbs the hill to pray at Abuna Yamata. For any outsider visiting Tigray province, access to these churches is difficult and even dangerous. Especially as the last part of the climb must be undertaken with bare feet as a mark of respect. There are several caves at the top, one of which is a burial place for monks and priests. From here, one still has to reach the summit of this outcrop and make one's way along a narrow ledge on the very edge of a sheer drop before finally meeting the priest. Contrary to what the village priests profess, the church does not date back to the 4th century arrival of Christianity in Ethiopia. But according to French historical researchers of the CNRS, is more likely to date from the 12th century, while the paintings probably date from the 16th century. It's soft to the local people to pray. And one is, if you built on the top of the mountain, near the heaven, respect the local people near the heaven. And also if you built in the flood area, the effect by natural and human things. The books are written in gauze and are true works of art. His day done, the priest wanders around above the precipice like a mountain goat. Some villages act as casual guides to help visitors get across the most hazardous sections. In the valley, a pair of Abyssinian hornbills basks in the sun. The male has a blue pouch on his throat, while the females is red. Leaving this astonishing place and heading towards Wukro, we must make one last stop at Abraha Atzpeha. Its cruciform monolithic church is another example of the ingenuity of its creators who probably lived in the 10th century. A recent addition detracts from its architectural balance. The paintings and columns inside are in need of repair, but a few visitors and meager donations are not going to be enough for that. And this is where our journey ends, a journey full of surprises, which has helped us to see this amazing country of Ethiopia in a different light.