Gondar (or Gonder) lies north of Lake Tana, on the banks of Angereb River and southwest of the Simien Mountains, at an altitude of 2,133 meters above sea level. Known as the "Camelot of Africa", it was the last capital of the Ethiopian empire and currently is the capital of Beghemidir province. The city houses the ruins of several royal castles, including the fortified city of Fasil Ghebbi (or Royal Enclosure), the former residence of Ethiopian emperor Fasilides and his successors during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Surrounded by a 900-meter-long wall, the citadel is made up of unique architectural ensemble. Composed of palaces, churches, monasteries and buildings, they were built with original Hindu and Arab influences, later adulterated by Baroque constructions carried out by Jesuit missionaries.