Located in Ethiopia’s Gondar Region, Fasil Ghebbi is a massive fortress city that was ruled by the Ethiopian emperor Fasilides and those that replaced him. The city was established as a permanent capital in 1636 and was extremely important until its slow decline at the end of the 1700s, though it served as the center of the Ethiopian government until 1864. The wall that surrounds it is 900 meters long, which gave impressive views to anybody that approached. Inside, there are over twenty palaces, churches, monasteries and buildings, including the massive Fasilides Palace (often called Gondar Castle). The entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the organization has done quite a bit of restoration to many of the buildings. The size and scope make it one of the largest historical sites in all of Africa. Here is a captivating photo essay through the fortress city of Fasil Ghebbi, Ethiopia.

Fasilides Castle (Shutterstock)

Outside the walls of Fasilides Castle (notice the Ethiopian flag flying on top)

Courtesy of Martijn Munneke / flickr

A great capture from inside the grounds

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The approach to the Fasilides bath

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The streets on the outside of the grounds shows more of the daily life in Gondar

Courtesy of Matt Saunders / flickr

A view of the wall and hillsides at sunset

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An inside view of the Fasilides Baths

Courtesy of SarahTz / flickr

Taking a walk through the inside

Courtesy of Jenn Dyer / flickr

One of the medieval domes

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You can tell the roots around the baths have been there for a long time

Courtesy of A. Davey / flickr

Nobody lives inside anymore except these pigeons

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The vines are starting to take over these ruins