​​​ Lost Paradises - Africa - Indian Ocean 

ETHIOPIA - Gondar - Gonder

Flanked by twin mountain streams at an altitude of more than 2,300 meters Gondar commands spectacular views over farmlands to the gleaming waters of Lake Tana thirty-five kilometers to the south.  Fasil Ghebbi (Royal Enclosure) is an extensive compound with the remains of a fortress-city founded in the 17th and 18th centuries by Emperor Fasilides (Fasil) and was the home of Ethiopia's emperors. Its unique architecture shows diverse influences including Nubian, Arab, and Baroque styles. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.