Konso Cultural Landscape
Konso
A UNESCO World Heritage site where the Konso people built stone-walled terraces and walled villages on dry hills, a tradition that has lasted more than four hundred years.
Inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2011, the Konso Cultural Landscape covers about 55 square km. It includes layered stone terraces and traditional villages, such as Mechek and Gamole, built on hilltops with multiple stone walls. The villages contain communal meeting houses, generational stone pillars and carved wooden grave figures called "waka." The site lies about 90 km south of Arba Minch, roughly two hours' drive. Visitors usually hire a local guide in Karat town, and entry fees are charged per village. You can combine a visit with the Karat market and the Gesergio sand pillars on the same day. The former Konso Museum has had irregular opening hours in recent years, so check before setting out.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Gesergiyo (Konso "New York")
- Lake Chamo Crocodile Market
- Forty Springs (Arba Minch)
- Bridge of God Viewpoint
- Arba Minch Crocodile Ranch
- Nechisar National Park
- Dorze Village
- Chencha Market