Day Trip to Adadi Rock and Tiya Archeological Excursion

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Adadi Mariam / Tiya Stele Adadi Mariam Adadi Mariam is a subterranean rock-hewn church similar to those of Lalibela. This church is unique as it is the southern-most church of its type, and stands alone – no other rock-hewn churches are in the area. It has been surmised that King Lalibela ordered the construction of Adadi Mariam for his visit to southern Ethiopia. The site dates to the 13th century, but is still an active site of worship. While it dates to around the same time as the Tiya stelae, and is only ~30km north of them, Adadi Mariam provides a strong contrast to the pagan-like aura at Tiya.

   4 hAdmission included

2. Tiya Stele Close by the Adadi Mariam church are the stelae of Tiya. The monuments – 36 in all – are the remains of an ancient Ethiopian culture, standing between 1 and 2 meters in height. Excavations have revealed that the site is an ancient cemetery, housing the remains of both males and females, aged from 18 to 30. Dating to between the 10th and 15th centuries, the stelae are covered in symbols whose meaning remains unknown. The swords and other symbols carved into the rock are unique to themselves; no other symbols of their type have been discovered. Tiya is easily accessible off a main road from Addis Ababa. It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is relatively untouched by tourism compared to other parts of Ethiopia. Late afternoon drive back to Addis

   2 hAdmission included

3. At Melka Kunture Archeological site we have a chance to see (nearly 2 million year old) discovered fossils of prehistoric age. The stone in the area dating 1:5 million year old

   2 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 4 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Addis Ababa

• Its from-price is 17% below the median of the 83 day trips we list in Addis Ababa.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 36 of 83.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, stands high on a plateau among eucalyptus-covered hills, with museums, markets, churches and African Union offices.

At around 2,400 metres, Addis Ababa is one of the highest capitals in the world, laid out on the slopes of the Entoto hills. The National Museum of Ethiopia tells the story of human origins through Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old partial skeleton found in the country in 1974, while the Ethnological Museum is housed in a former imperial palace. Holy Trinity Cathedral and Saint George Cathedral are important churches, and Meskel Square hosts large gatherings.

Top-ranked sights in Addis Ababa: National Museum of Ethiopia, Mt. Entoto, IES Ethnographic Museum (Addis Ababa University).

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