Ethnographic and Cultural Attractions in Southern Ethiopia

Tribes of Southern Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a country of rich ethnic diversity. Over 80 different nations and nationalities live here, each with its own language, customs, hair style, costume, and body decoration. Tourists inrerested in exploring this mosaic of cultures are especially recommended to travel to Southern Ethiopia. To see the tours that Terra Incognita Tour Agency offers in the Southern Ethiopia, click here.

Borena are the pastoralist tribe which inhabits vast territories of Southern Ethiopia and Kenya. They lead semi-nomadic life and speak one of the branches of Oromo language. Borena earned the reputation of fearsome warriors in the past, but in fact they are peace-loving, gentle and gracious people. Their main occupation is cattle-breading, and they measure their wealth by the sixe of their herds. A remarkable feature of Borena culture visited by the tourists is the "singing well".

Dassenech is a pastoralist tribe which lives in a territory around Omorate, along the banks of the Omo river. Dassenech is a tribe of pastoralists, fishermen, and crocodile hunters. They are very friendly people, living in their flimsy domed huts in the merciless heat of South Omo area. To visit a Dassenech village tourists cross the Omo River in traditional dug-out boats.

Dorze is a tribe of skillful cotton weavers and potters who live in the mountains just outside Arba Minch. Their houses, standing up to 6 m tall and built in a shape of elephant's head, are the most unique traditional structures in Africa. Staple food of the Dorze tribe is enset or false banana. The Dorze dwellings are entirely organic: they are built using bamboo, grass, and false banana leaves. A visit to the Dorze house is a pleasant and memorable experience for the tourists.

Hamer is a tribe which occupies the large territory of South Omo. They speak a language which belongs to the Omotic group of languages and display an elaborate and unique style of body decorations and clothes. Women wear leather skirts decorated with cowri shells. Their braided hair is painted with ochre, and their arms are decorated with 15 or more copper bracelets. The most important event in the Hamer society is the Bull Jumping Ceremony, the rite which marks a passage of men from one age group to another. This ceremony can be attended by tourists visiting the Hamer territory. Two principal settlements of Hamer are Dimeka and Turmi, especially colorful and interesting to visit on the market days.

Karo is a small tribe of perhaps 1000 people or less. They live in the area of two small villages - Kolcho and Dus. Karo are best known for their elaborate body paintings, special for important ceremonies. Colorful face masks are prepared using chalk, charcoal, iron ore, and yellow rock. Hairstyle of both men and women is also very unusual. Foreign tourists are always welcome to attend Karo traditional ceremonies if they are lucky to visit their villages at such times.

Konso is a tribe which inhabits the area of basalt hills about 85 km to the south from Arba Minch. They speak a Cushitic language. Konso live in villages usually located on a top of a hill and surrounded by a 2 m stone wall. Konso are famous all over Ethiopia for their advanced methods of land cultivation, ehich include irrigation and building of terraces. Also very famous are the Konso's waqa - carved wooden monuments erected on the graves.

Mursi is a very distinctive group of pastoralists living in the South Omo area. They are well known for their very unusual decoration - lip plates for women. A Mursi girl slits her lip open when she makes a decision to get married. The lip plate can reach about 15 cm in diameter. The Mursi villages are located in the Mago Park. They are very difficult to reach due to bad condition of the road in the park.

Tsemai people is a small tribe numbering about 5000. They speak a Cushitic language and live in a very hot area near Weito village on Konso - Jinka road. They are mixed subsistence farmers. They grow crops such as sorghum and maize, breed cattle and goats, and keep beehives.

For more informations about ethnographic and cultural attractions of Ethiopia and our customised tours to these destinations, please contact us: terra.inc@ethionet.et