Konso /Karat/

Karat: The administrative center of Konso Special Woreda also called Konso. Konso serves as a kind of border line town and gateway to the lower Omo valley. Karat, the capital town of Konso, and Dukitu, the smaller town located some 2 km from Karat   are an ancient, complex and fascinating culture that attracts the interests of many tourists and researchers.  At the market different culturally produced products are available for sell. The colorful woven cotton ‘shorts’ and blankets, tea millet, tobaccos, raw cotton, sweetpotatos, teff, butter, incense and cassava, souvenirs (like wooden dolls, local knives, miniature wagas) are available in the market days which stands every -------of the weeks.

Konso Special Woreda Attractions

The Special Woreda is endowed with unique cultural assets and rich living traditional practices in Africa. The attractions include:

Konso Cultural Mora and Terracing practices
The Konso Cultural landscape which comprises the traditional walled Villages, the Mora, Generation pole and the terracing practices, the colorful Konso market, traditional arts (Music & dance),  together with the New-York; a bizarre landscape of sand panicles formed by wind and rain (erosion) and Konso area Paleo- anthropological sites are major  among others that attracts many national and foreign visitors.

Many fossils (unusual for their large size), human, animals have been unearthed from the konso special Woreda on the site of an old lake in 2002 and have been dated to between 1.3 and 1.9 million years old.

The konso Cultural landscape study, preparation of management plan and nomination file have already been completed and it is hoped that by the end of 2009 UNESCO will declare the Konso Cultural Landscape as one of the World Heritage Sites.

Market:

The most interesting market in Konso special Woreda is the Karat (or Konso) market

Place to stay and eat in Konso:

Camping is possible in the different hotels. Eidget Hotel, Kiddst Mariam Hotel, konso Wubete Hotel  Hess travel Ethiopia is constructing new and comfortable lodges on the hill over looking Karat and Bukitu (Konso towns).

Konso women dressing style

Visitors can have information about the various attractions of the Konso area from the Konso Special Woreda State Communication and Culture and Tourism Office situated in the Karat town.

Address
Konso Special Woreda State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone
E-mail
Karat