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The Amharic word Bah, in this particular
case, stands for a lake. 'Dar' means
"shore". Combining the two words yields the idea why
the capital of the Amhara Regional State, some 565Km
northwest of Addis Abeba on the shores of the
biggest lake in the country, Tana, is christened so.
The world knows that Abbay (The Blue Nile)
starts its long journey from Lake Tana. The story of
the Blue Nile Falls starts with the robustly growing
beautiful city, Bahir Dar, and its historically
important environs.
When I first visited the famous lake back in the
70's I saw filla, canoes made from papyrus that
grows abundantly on the shores of the lake. These
papyrus reed canoes were used to transport logs of
wood and twigs for the market.
The logs seemed like the remains of an animal
devoured by a huge carnivore and left behind having
no use for them any more. The flesh, alluvial silt,
is eroded away downstream to our neighbours who
appear to claim the waters and its luggage are their
birthright. The men rowing the canoes were from the
'woyto' tribe.
They were also engaged in the business of
transporting visitors to the islands in the lake
which number about 37 according to these captains of
the canoes. Of course, there were a couple of motor
boats, as well as modern ferries, docking at the
Bahir Dar Hotel shores ready to serve tourists.
At the time of my duty trip, a small steamer boat
newly bought by the Marine Authority was making its
maiden voyage to Zegie Island where the famous
Kibran Gabriel Church, among others, built in the
14th century was located. We were making a ship
warming trip and so enjoyed the wining and dining
along with the ensuing merrymaking that are perhaps
nonexistent in today's landlocked Ethiopia.
The paintings on the walls of the churches and
monasteries are of immense historical and cultural
value. We were told that these mysterious islands
were hiding priceless heritages for more than six
centuries. The shores are also rich in migrating and
endemic birds for the enthusiasts and casual
observers alike.
There is a protruding peninsula on the eastern shore
of Zegie Island where Uri Kidane Mihret Church,
which is said to have served as a save haven for
numerous relics and religious treasures from other
parts of the country during threats by invading
forces, is found.
Access to some of these churches is possible without
getting one's foot wet. One can step to the shores
directly from the little boats. There is also a
danger that the indigenous trees and parts of the
islands may submerge under water during the
fluctuating levels of the lake waters. That could
endanger the loss of the cultural relics and
historical heritages unless these sites are
fortified.
Bahir Dar was originally an old trading centre on
the shores of Lake Tana since the 14th century
according to some historians. Its master plan as a
modern town was drawn and implemented during Emperor
Haile Selassie. The wide roads dotted by the palm
trees and the large number of women cyclists,
Polytechnic and Pedagogic learning institutions, as
well as the Bahir Dar textile and edible oil
factories, were the most significant development
marks since earlier years.
Bahir Dar has now made quite a stride and is
becoming an attractive industrial city.
When talking about the beauty of Bahir Dar and the
treasure-rich Zegie Island, the Blue Nile Falls 30Km
downstream at Tisissat (smoke of fire) always comes
up. When I first went to see the Blue Nile Falls I
thought it was just like any other I read about in
the geography books; Victoria or Niagara Falls on a
smaller scale.
We had parked at the little town literally infested
with paupers and pestering little children feigning
as tourist guides. We needed parking guards only.
When I advanced to the site I was impressed to see
the famous river reduced down in size, compacted in
a deep gorge and flowing down crossed by the small
stone bridge with a span of only a few metres and
said to have been built during the reign of Emperor
Susnyos who might have hosted the Portuguese
engineers.
Local belief has it that the mixing substance used
to construct the bridge was the yolk of eggs. After
we crossed the river, we trekked around a sloppy
landscape through green grass and bushes dotted by
short acacia trees. Suddenly, we came face to face
with the breathtaking massive water body falling
down with tremendous force and noise that shook the
earth as if there was some kind of seismic activity
going on under the crust. The water seemed to run
away for dear life to the Mediterranean.
I was stunned and felt a bit uncomfortable in my
bowels out of sheer fear when I saw the flat sheet
of water falling over 150ft below covered by mist
and vapour and tied by the rainbow across the Falls.
We were standing in the showers thrilled by the
beauty and massive downpour. I stood dumb having no
word to describe my impressions. That was years
back.
The story is different now. The falls have shrunk
down to a thin string of water. The environs have
dried lacking the lactating mist resulting from the
falling water. Some diversion has taken place taming
the Blue Nile to surrender and give some of its
spoils to generate hydroelectric power. The
pertinent authorities are said to grant the
spectacular scene once a week on request.
The little town, Tis Abbay, located immediately
before the stone bridge hosts rare tourists with her
local brews like tej and tella accompanied by local
musicians.
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