Gondar was the capital of Ethiopia between the 17th and 19th century. It became the royal capital in 1636, in the time of Emperor Fasiledes, who built the first and most famous of the castles.
The establishment of the city marked a major turning point in Ethiopia’s long history. For the previous half millennium the country had been with out long-enduring capital and its rulers had indeed spent much of their times marching from camp to camp until their last resting place. The emergence of Gondar marked the end of this era of moving capitals for the city remained the center of Ethiopian government until the second half of the 19th century.