Blue Nile River, Abay River

Blue Nile River, Abay River

Rivers

Ethiopia has nine major rivers and twelve big lakes. Lake Tana is the biggest. Abay Wenze (Nile River) is the Longest in the World. Ethiopia is also known as the Water tower of East Africa.

The Blue Nile River (Abay River)

The river Nile is the most important river in the world.

In Ethiopia, The Blue Nile is called Abay Wenz or Abay River. Only the foreigner calls it Blue Nile.  In the Bible at genesis Chapter 2, Verse 13; Abay River has been referred as   “Gi’hon” - “The name of the second river is Gi’hon;   it is the one encircling the entire Land of Cush” a name associated with Ethiopia. In all Gojam Region of Ethiopia, People call it Gi’hon or Ghion Wenz.

The Source of Abay Wenze / River/ is at Gish Abay Town, in ‘Sekela administrative Wereda’ (Zone), near Bahir Dar City.  The Gish Abay town is named after the nearby Mount named Gish and the Abay River (Blue Nile) whose source is in the foothills of the mountain.

It is also known as Felege Ghion in Ge'ez, the Orthodox Church language of Ethiopia. The Language Ge’ez was the state language during Axumite empire.  Felege Ghion consists of three small springs found within a diameter of about 20 meters. These waters are believed to have a healing power and considered holy by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

At about 40km flow at Tis Issat – the smoking Fire in Amharic Language, Abay Wenz creates an amazing waterfalls, the best tourist destination site.

At about 400km of Journey,        Abay River enters in an amazing canyon, called Abay Bereha (Abay Gorge). Wonderful sightseeing! The Gorge depth is often comparable to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in the United States.

The distance of Abay or Gi’hoh or Gihon, or Ghion River from its Sours (Lake Tana) to Sudan Border is about 800km.  86% of Nile River Water comes from Ethiopia.

At Khartoum, Abay Wenz / River merge into White Nile that originated from Lake Victoria, renamed as The Great Nile River, the longest river of the world draining into the Mediterranean Sea after a total of at least 1600km Journey.

The Abay Wenz in Ethiopia, The Nile River in Egypt is about history, Legend and life even today.

Ethiopia is constructing Grand Renaissance Dam for hydroelectric power, first filling; “phase one” is successfully accomplished after 4.7 billion cubic meter of protected water as artificial lake in 2020.  Abay Wenz is becoming both River and Lake in Ethiopia as well.