- Location: northwest of Ethiopia
- Area: 2 156 square meters. km
- Height above sea level: 1830 m
- Length: 84 km
- Width: 66 km
- The greatest depth: 15 m
- The outflowing river: Small Abbay
- The flowing river: Blue Nile
Ethiopia is a very colorful country, and every place in it is filled with meaning and meaning. Traveling on the African expanse, it is worth to visit Lake Tana, which combines natural and historical aspects and promises vivid impressions.
A bit of geography
Ethiopia is a very colorful country, and every place in it is filled with meaning and meaning. Traveling on the African expanse, it is worth to visit Lake Tana, which combines natural and historical aspects and promises vivid impressions.
A bit of geography
Tana is the largest lake in the country. It is located in the north-western part of Ethiopia, north of the city of Bahr Dar . This unique reservoir is characterized by the following figures:
- height - 1830 m above sea level;
- depth - a maximum of 15 m (during the rainy season);
- the dimensions are 84x66 km.
Tana is surrounded by mountains (they are called Ethiopian or Lunar), the height of which varies from 3 to 4 thousand meters. It flows into the lake more than 50 rivers. They are mostly small, the smallest is the Small Abbay (sometimes called the Upper Blue Nile). The Blue Nile River flows out of Lake Tana, which, merging already in the Sudan with the White Nile, forms the main water artery of the entire continent.
What can the lake offer to the tourist Tana?
The reservoir is considered a very popular tourist object in Ethiopia. Foreign travelers who decided to rest in Africa , go here to:
- see the picturesque 42-meter waterfall of Tys-Ysat , which is 30 km from the lake and attracts with its beauty and power;
- To admire the Blue Nile - the legendary and very beautiful river ;
- learn how the aborigines live, and ride on their made "paper", or papyrus boat;
- appreciate the beauty of the ancient Christian churches and monasteries , which still function;
- fish in the largest freshwater pond in the country;
- photographed with local pelicans - the main representatives of the lake's ornithofauna.
The Islands
More than two dozen islands are scattered over the lake surface. There are large and small areas of land, the bulk of which is densely overgrown with greenery and uninhabited (Ethiopian villages are located along the shores of the lake). Local guides, at the request of tourists, dock to the most interesting islands.
Almost each of them is marked by the presence of an Orthodox church, and even several. In the majority it is the destroyed structures, but there are also restored. These churches were built in the Middle Ages, beginning with XIII. Later here lived wandering monks, seeking seclusion and refuge from Muslim invasions. Lake Tana with its islands could not be better suited for this purpose. Today, these Orthodox churches and churches attract the attention of tourists with their unusual architecture (they are round in shape and covered with reeds), with a talented painting of walls in the form of scenes from the Bible and a peculiar religious color that distinguishes Ethiopian Christianity from what we are accustomed to.
The most popular temples of Lake Tana are:
- Kebran Gabriel (XIII century);
- Ur Kidane Meheret (XVI);
- Narga Selassie (XVIII).
Tourist visits
Local people are very friendly to tourists. For a small fee, they will give you a guide and show all the beauties of the district, including islands, to which you can swim on a "paper" or motor boat.
The nearest town to Tana Lake is Bahr Dar . It can be reached by ferry from Gorgora or from Addis Ababa by car, by bus or by intercity bus. The journey takes 8-11 hours, depending on the type of transport chosen. In addition, in Bahr Dar you can fly by plane to Ethiopian Airlines (here there is an airport).