'Lost' towns shed light on Islamic past
Independent Online, South Africa - June 15, 2007
The discovery of three old Muslim towns in Ethiopia has put a question mark on the history of a nation which prides itself on its overwhelmingly Christian heritage dating back to Biblical times.
The first known civilisation in Ethiopia was that of the mighty Aksumite kingdom which was established in 1000 BC in the country's north.
Its best known figure was the Queen of Sheba who is said to have borne King Solomon a son named Menelik, who became the first emperor of Ethiopia and the founder of its ancient Christian dynasty which only ended when Emperor Haile Selassie was toppled in 1974 ...