Among the many natural, historical, and manmade heritages of North Shewa of Amhara State, fissured-cliff, literally known as Menilk II’s Window is one of the impressive and magnificent places that were formed due to earthquake. This splendid place, located in Basona district near Ankober town, is the birth place of emperor Menelik II. Unfortunately, the place is still backward and difficult to access.
Anteneh Desalgne, Heritage Inventory Expert of Basona Woreda Culture and Tourism Office in North Shewa Zone of Amhara State told The Ethiopian Herald that before acuqiring the name Menelik II’s Window, the place was locally called Gemassa Gedel. It was used as a message transmission tower where soldiers of Emperor Menelik II spread important government messages to the public through the use of drums of war. The messages were meant to alert people against potential security threats. The place is a habitat for more than 20 bird species, various indigenous trees, Gelada baboon, and the like.
Particularly, the bird’s cave forest enables us to see from Tarmaber woreda to Basona woreda and extends to Awash River.
According to Anetneh, the place is not adequately promoted for many years due to the absence of a relevant entity in woreda especially culture and tourism. Lack of budget and attention has also been a serious challenge during the past twelve years further failing to ensure the people’s interest and its development.
As to Anteneh, the area is fenced to protect from any distraction after the office is organized at the district level which helps to facilitate the area development and ensure benefit from it.
Heritage Conservator at North Shewa Zone of Culture and Tourism Office, Mikiyas Tewodros on his part said that the place is located on a hilltop. However, people do not have common understanding of the formation of fissured-cliff or escarpment.
Local elders agree that the place shows Ethiopian geological historical change related to the means of the formation of East Africa’s Great Rift Valley. Those people understood that the upper part of the land is a covered mountain chain while the downstream place is low land.
‘As the place is a hill top, it is easily visible from a distance of about 170 km up to 180 km, from Menelik II’s Palace to Awash Arba River even during darkness. Therefore, the Emperor looks or visits all daily movement of the citizens he stands for his palace. In this regard, the place is the center of trade and the trade covers from Alyuamba to Berbera port passing through Djibouti.
As to him, most of the areas are covered by fog; people can view the place only in one of the seasons in a year.
On the other hand, birds cave existed in the area which has more than 9,500 hectares of land and different animals like long tail birds, and tree species.
Particularly, the place is more than 3,000 meters above sea level and reaches in the mixture of humidity and cold weather condition, it is attractive to visitors for enjoying skydive, para shoot, mountain girder, and medication.
He further added that the place does not promoting adequately and citizen are benefited from the area due to various reasons.
Lack of due attention, budget, organized documents, promotion, skilled human power, stakeholders’ integration, and the like are a serious problem which impedes to utilize from the resource during the past many years, he noted.
However, published in the newspaper to promoting the place and conducting research with Debre Birhan University is among some activities of the zonal bureau during the past few years so as to develop the area and creating job opportunities. Currently, 20 youth are engaged on different handcraft like a hat made. But it would not enough by itself; rather the area has huge potential.
The Ethiopian Herald April 25/2020
BY MESERET BEHAILU
