Colourful Timkat festival is the Orthodox Ethiopian celebration of Epiphany, that takes place every 19th January. We chose some of our favourite photos of the ceremony at Lalibela in Northern Ethiopia, one of the country’s holiest cities and among the best places to attend the event.
Ceremonial umbrellas shade the priests and public as they parade through the streets in Lalibela (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Ceremonial gold crosses are carried during the ceremony (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Tabots (replicas of the Arc of the Covenant) being taken through the streets on the heads of priests, Lalibela (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Departure of the Tabots in Lalibela, Church of Bieta Giyorgis (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Singing devotees (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Lines of singing dabtaras or choristers (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Young boy beating a drum to mark the return of the Tabots in Lalibela (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
An Ethiopian Orthodox priest during the festival (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
A boy in colourful dress attending the festival (Aurora Photos/Robert Harding)
See more photos of Timkat here