Historical & Cultural Heritages

Religious Sites

The SNNPRS has different religious ancient Monasteries and Churches. Most of the Ortodox Churches ark of tabernacles came from the northern parts of the country and built on the top of hills & Mountains. Currently, Muhur Eyesus & Midre-Kebid Abo monasteries are using as an educational center of the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches in Guraghe Zone. “Birbir Mariam monastery”, Eli St. Gabriel and Dorze Giorgis Churches in Gamo-Gofa, Tocha Medahnialem & Isera-Bale St. Michael churches in Dawuro , Sheapa St. Gabriel, Beha St Giorgis Anderach Medahni-Alem and Shapa Catholic Church of St. mary  in Kaffa, Shisha and Qiqe Mariam Curches in Sidama Zone and Yero Medahni-Alem monastery in Amaro Special Woreda are among others some of the oldest churches/ monasteries in the Regional State.

These historic religious churches and monasteries have many important and historic religious written documents and materials or church relics. The recently built Chuchu Gabriel Church in Dila , Gedeo Zone and Hawassa St. Gabriel church are magnificent & elegant in their architectural make up.  

There are different historical religious sites of the Muslim communities in the Region. These include the earliest Tongola Quba mosque of Kaffa, the Alkeso and Haji Alye Mousque of Silte, the Qatbare, Aberaet & Zebemola Mosques of Gurage Zone. All these mosques are ancient and actual religious domestic tourism sites. The recent Nur-Ahmed of Alaba, Mosques of Butajera and Dila are the well-known actual religious tourism sites & recent in their architectural design. There are also many traditional worship sites in the different zones of the Regional State.

Stelae

The SNNPRS has an enormous number of Megalithic stelae. There are about 10,000 stelae in the Southern Region. One of these stelae sites, the stelae site of Tiya in Gurage zone, registered as world heritage site. Most of the stones are engraved with enigmatic symbols, notably swords. 

The other known stelae sites Tutufola, Tutit and Socoro sodo stelae sites found in Gedeo Zone.: Tutufola is probably one of the most impressive sites contain about 80 ancient stelae which are variously carved with facial feature, phalluses etc. indicating the brave or sex of the person buried underneath. Tutiti lies on the hill 2.3km from the village of Chelba. It consists of some very large, tapering, generally un-carved standing stones with marking grave. These stelae are found in Wenago, Yirgachefe, and Gedeb Woreda of   Gedeo zone, respectively. There are also other old stelae in Sidama, Wolita, Silte zones & Yeme Special Woreda of the Region.. The stelae are of two shapes: one with cylindrical shape, which represents male sex organ while the others are flat with engravings. These stelae attracted the interest of many archeologists and visitors.

Caves & Defence Walls

Caves are found in different places of the Region on the sides of cliff, near by springs and in the middle of thick forest. The most amazing caves include Moche-Borago and Akirsa of Wolita Zone, Diabeten cave of Bench-Maji ,Wollo-Shola Cave of Kaffa, Bandelicho & Batena caves of  Hadya, Dawa Cave in Kembata-Timbaro and Shekshko cave in Sheka Zone. There are also five rock art sites in Gedeo Zone.
The Dawro Zone Defense wall is called the wall of Halala (or Halala kela) a long historical defensive wall constructed during the period of king Keti Halala in between 1764-1789. The stone wall was built to protect Dawro’s frontiers from the outside invaders, this stone rampart covers about 170 km in length. This historical ancient heritage of the zone has a great attention for its protection and tourism development in the Region.

Paleo-anthropological Sites

There are different Paleo-anthropological and anthropological sites in the lower Omo River Basins in South Omo Zone, Konso and Burji Special Woredas of the Regional State. The lower Omo Paleo-anthropological site is registered as the World Heritage site. The Shungura, Usno & Mursi and Kibish formations are found within lower-Omo. The other Paleo- anthropological sites includes Fejej and Weyto Achiqere formation (in South Omo zone) found east of Omo river, Konso(in Konso Special Woreda), Burji Kilicho (in Burji Special Woreda). These sites are very important in the study of Paleo-environment and mammalian evolution. The sites are very rich with vertebrate fossils of late Oligocene and Pleistocene.
The three most important and known Paleo anthropological and anthropological sites of the Region include:

1. Shungura (lower omo), Usno, Mursi, Kibish, Fejeje, and Weyto-Anchiqere in South Omo Zone are recognized by UNESCO as world heritages.
2. Burji soyama ( Burji Special Woreda )
3. Konso  Pale anthropological site (Konso special woreda )