法西尔盖比坐落于埃塞俄比亚北部贡德尔(Gondar)市中心,海拔大约 2300 米,是一处由石砌城墙围合而成的宏大皇宫遗址。这片占地面积广阔的建筑群由法西利德斯(Fasilides)皇帝于 1636 年开始兴建,直到 1864 年一直作为埃塞俄比亚帝国的政治与文化中心。1979 年,它凭借独特的建筑风格被联合国教科文组织列入世界文化遗产名录。如果你看腻了非洲草原的广袤,来这里看看这些充满中世纪质感的石头城堡,会有种时空错乱的奇妙感。
法西尔盖比最迷人的地方在于它的混搭风。走在遗址里,你会发现这里的宫殿不仅有非洲本土的努比亚风格,还融合了阿拉伯的圆顶设计、印度式的装饰元素,甚至还有耶稣会传教士带来的欧洲巴洛克气息。这种多样的风格反映了当时埃塞俄比亚与外界频繁的商贸往来。说真的,当你站在那些斑驳的石墙前,如果不说这是在东非,你可能会觉得自己身处南欧或者印度的某座古城。
整座皇宫大院被一段长达 900 米、高约 5 米的石头围墙死死护住。墙上开了 12 座各司其职的城门,每座门都有特定的用途,比如有专门给皇室成员进出的,也有供商人通行或举行宗教仪式的。院子里散布着六座主要的城堡,还有图书馆、马厩、宴会厅和三座教堂。这种半城市化的防御型布局,让它在当年那个动荡的年代成了一座坚不可摧的权力堡垒。
法西利德斯城堡(Fasilides Castle)是整个景区体量最大、保存最完好的建筑。它楼高三层,顶部矗立着巨大的塔楼,远看确实很像欧洲中世纪的古堡。有趣的是,建筑中使用了大量的火山玄武岩,不仅坚固,在夕阳下还会透出深邃的质感。另一处被称为鸡蛋宫(Enqualal Gemb)的建筑也很有看点,因为它那独特的半球状圆顶在当地建筑中非常罕见,甚至让人联想到拜占庭风格。
出了主景区大约两公里的地方,有一处不可错过的法西利德斯浴室(Fasilides' Bath)。这里的核心是一座两层的小石楼,周围是一个巨大的矩形水池。平日里水池是干涸的,但到了每年一月的提姆凯特节(Timkat),当地人会引水注满池塘,数以万计的信徒会跳入水中洗礼。最让人印象深刻的是那些像章鱼触角一样死死抓牢石墙的巨型古树根,那画面感特别强,甚至带点吴哥窟的味道。
从首都亚的斯亚贝巴(Addis Ababa)到贡德尔,钱的问题和时间的问题得算清楚。如果是坐长途汽车,起码要颠簸两天,路况非常考验腰椎。真心建议直接买埃塞俄比亚航空的国内机票,航程只要一小时左右,省下的时间能让你多喝两杯地道的埃塞咖啡。贡德尔机场到市区也就十几公里,打个当地的嘟嘟车(Lada)非常方便,上车前记得和司机讲好价。
目前法西尔盖比的门票对外国游客大约是 300 到 500 埃塞俄比亚比尔,价格会根据汇率和当地政策变动,建议出发前去景区门口的售票处确认。门票通常是涵盖了主城堡群和法西利德斯浴室两部分的。游览时建议避开正午,因为贡德尔虽然海拔高、气候凉爽,但高原阳光毒辣,那些石头建筑吸热后就像个巨大的烤箱。最好选在清晨或者下午四点以后,光线柔和,城堡的轮廓线也更好看。
虽然不是强制要求,但为了搞清楚那些断壁残垣背后的故事,请个导游是很有必要的。景区门口通常有官方认证的导游,讲解大约需要 1 到 2 小时,费用在 1000 比尔左右。如果是自己看,可能几分钟就逛完了,但有了导游的讲解,你才能明白为什么有些楼梯是镂空的,有些窗户又为什么要对准特定的方向。
每年的 10 月到次年 3 月是埃塞俄比亚的旱季,不仅天气晴朗,而且路况最好。如果你不介意人多,一月中旬的提姆凯特节(主显节)是绝对的高峰期,能看到法西利德斯浴室最震撼的祭典场面。那个时候贡德尔的住宿会非常紧张,起码要提前三个月预订房间。
普通游客用手机或单反拍摄静态照片是完全允许的,不需要额外付费。但如果你打算使用无人机或者进行商业用途的视频拍摄,必须提前向当地旅游局和文物保护单位申请复杂的许可证。另外在法西利德斯浴室拍摄宗教仪式时,请务必尊重当地信徒的个人空间,不要贴脸拍摄。
Zeliha Günes Amazing and affordable experience. Gonder is very safe and protected by the government in 2024 (we went in March) and saw other tourists as well. So just fly to here from Addis even though it’s annoying, because the bus routes are blocked. The castles were incredible and has very big historical and cultural value. We didn’t want a tour guide but they insisted that we gave an additional 400 birr and asked if he could just give us quick information and leave us so we could observe it by ourselves (because we prefer to do research beforehand on the sights and then explore by ourselves). But really it was perfect. The guide was very informative and gave us a quick 15 min lecture about the place and the names of the castles in the compound. It was just right:) The ticket also included Fassilidas bath a 15-20 min walk from the sight. Please don’t be like 99% of tourists who gets driven in a big car with air conditioning from sight to sight. WALK AND EXPLORE THE CITY AND DRINK LOCAL COFEE ON THE WAY. Gonder is definitely a place worth visiting! Don’t believe what they say in Addis about safety🙉💗😍
Dasun Madhuranga In the sexteenth and seventeenth centuries, the fortress city of Gontar-Use Royal Enclosure served as the residence of the Ethiopsian emperor, Fasilides, who moved his capital bere in 1636 AD. By the late 1640s he had built a great castle here, the recently restored Fasilädes Palace. With its huge towers and looming battlement walls, it seems as if a piece of medieval Europe has been transported to Ethiopia Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, the palace, surrounded by an impressive 900-m (2,963-ft) wall, stands in a compound filled with juniper and wild olive trees, amid Enqulal Gemb, or Egg Castle, named after its domed roof, the royal archive. mary impressive churches and monastaries and a stable. These exemplify arcfitecture that is marked by both Hindu and Arab influences, subsequeritly transformed by the Baroque style that the Jesuit missionaries brought to Gondar, and have earned the city the nickname The Ethiopian Camelot. Beyond the city to the north-west, by the Qaha River, are the Fasilades Bathe. A nawo-storeyed, rustic battlement sits on the steps leading to a rectangular pool, while the bathing pavilion stands on pier atches and contains several rooms that may be reached via a stone linidge, part of which could be raised for defence in times of battle.
CK Cheong The impressive fortress city was the centre of the Ethiopian government in the 19th century. There are about twenty palaces, royal buildings, well renovated churches, monasteries and unique official and private buildings. Really enjoyed a good walk round the compound appreciating the historical, imperial and religious architecture
Tigew It’s definitely worth going there it is one of the historical places to visit in Ethiopia and my advice is that you should have a tour guide and also if you want to take some beautiful pictures then either you should go early morning or late in the afternoon to have the right angle of sunlight There is the entry fee but well worth spending it and also you can use the ticket to visit Fasilides bath if you visit it on the same day. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, it served as the Palace for Ethiopian emperors. The first Castle was built by Emperor Fasilides in the late 1630s. The compound is more than 70000 sq. It includes the Castles of Emperor Fasilides, Empress Mentewab Castle, Emperor Bakaffa's Castle, Dawit III’s Hall, Emperor Iyasu Palace, the Royal Library, banquet hall, and Royal archive and Lion Cages.
Master Mind It’s is a complex of buildings include fasildes, castle, palace and other buildings. It is on more the 70000 sq. meters. It’s definitely worth going there and if you need some beautiful pictures then either go early morning or late afternoon to have right angle of sunlight and few people. There is the entry fee of some 200 birr but well worth spending it. It will give you a glimpse of Abyssinians Royal way of living.