Follow down this post for a beautiful collection of scenes captured by WT adventurer Victor Bloomfield on our Lost Worlds of Ethiopia cultural exploration including the ornate and fascinating Timkat Festival.
Worshipers in White at the Timkat Festival
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city, we witnessed the Timkat festival, a traditional Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. The “baptism” takes place the next day, but on Timkat eve replicas of the arks are brought from several churches and paraded to the ceremonial grounds. Groups of marchers – uniformed, musicians, and just plain folks – accompanied the ark as it was carried – a march that took several hours.
Baptizing the Timkat Crowds
The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, preparing to spray (baptize) his fellow prelates.After the official baptism of the crosses in the inner enclosure, the crowds were allowed up to the fence for their own baptism. Quite a remarkable scene!
Celebratory Hairdo
Along with its religious function, the Timkat celebration is an occasion to see and be seen. Some of the women sported very elaborate hairdos; this was one of the best.
Evening at Lake Langano
On the first night of our drive from Addis to the Omo River Valley tribal areas, after stopping at Lake Ziway, we spent the night in a pleasant hotel at Lake Langano. This is another of the Rift Valley lakes, our hotel was high above the lake, and the evening view was lovely.
Generations
At a village on the way to Arba Minch. It looks like the grandmothers take care of the kids while the parents are at work.
Along the Road to Jinka
After staying overnight at Arba Minch we drove to Jinka where we would visit the Konso people. On the road south we found ourselves in the midst of a few cattle drives.A view of the countryside as we drove toward Jinka.
Lake Chamo Fauna
Lake Chamo is one of the Rift Valley lakes, well known for its wildlife: hippos, crocodiles, pelicans, fish eagles, and herons. We got a good view on a boat ride.
Ethiopian Bee Hives
Bee hives hang from the trees.
Konso Kids
The young children of the Konso people take care of even younger ones in a nurturing way.
Mursi Portraits
The Mursi people are famous for their lip plates and other bodily decoration.Not every Mursi woman wears a lip plate, but they are always strikingly and wonderfully adorned.
Hamar: Traditional, yet Modern
Hamar women tightly braid their hair and color it with ochre for an eye-catching effect. The phallic symbols closed around the necks of the women means that they are first wives.Thatched mud hut and corral made of sticks, but with cell phone.
Practical Things at the Key Afar Market
The Ethiopian town of Key Afar, near Jinka, hosts a weekly market to which people from the various tribes in the area – who rarely cross paths otherwise – come to buy necessities from each other. Kind of a Walmart in the south of Ethiopia.
Bume Village Scene
On the street in the village of the Bume people in the Omo River Valley tribal area.
Painted Karo Faces
Flying Back to Addis
Rather than driving back from the Omo River Valley to Addis Ababa, we had a chartered 12-seat Cessna, with a flat dirt field as an airstrip. Nice!
Riches of the Addis Merkato
Our excellent tour guide, Dereje, in a music shop.Men carrying huge stacks of brightly colored mattresses were a frequent sight on our trip.
Book title: Norma
Publisher: Victoria Miro
Publication date: 14th November 2015
Rights needed: Worldwide permission, English language (all editions)
I write on behalf of Victoria Miro Gallery in the hope that you can help with an urgent hi res image request of the following photograph for use in a new book called “Norma”, written by the artist Kara Walker. This book showcases drawings and works relating to an opera that Kara art directed this summer at La Fenice, in Venice. As such they would like to show:
• Ethiopian Woman, Hamar Community
The publisher would need the image at 300dpi (at around 21.0 x 29.7cm).
I would be most grateful if you could confirm receipt of this request and let me know if you are able to help and if there are any additional copyrights to be sought, or fees involved.
Many thanks in advance for your help and I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
1 Comment
Dear Victor Bloomfield,
Book title: Norma
Publisher: Victoria Miro
Publication date: 14th November 2015
Rights needed: Worldwide permission, English language (all editions)
I write on behalf of Victoria Miro Gallery in the hope that you can help with an urgent hi res image request of the following photograph for use in a new book called “Norma”, written by the artist Kara Walker. This book showcases drawings and works relating to an opera that Kara art directed this summer at La Fenice, in Venice. As such they would like to show:
• Ethiopian Woman, Hamar Community
The publisher would need the image at 300dpi (at around 21.0 x 29.7cm).
I would be most grateful if you could confirm receipt of this request and let me know if you are able to help and if there are any additional copyrights to be sought, or fees involved.
Many thanks in advance for your help and I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Sarah