On Friday and Saturday, Ethiopian Orthodox devotees celebrated the Epiphany, also known as Timket, which marks the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
Timket is on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage List of festivals.
On this day, the country's capital, Addis Ababa, witnessed the grand procession from Jan Meda, an open field in the city, with worshipers and priests carrying Tabots, sacred replicas of the Ark of the Covenant in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Followers sang hymns as young people rushed forward, decorating the streets with bright scarlet carpets as a symbol of deep respect. Worshipers, dressed in the customary white, joined in melodious chants and prostrated themselves before the revered Tabots.
During Saturday's gathering, Abune Mathias, the leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, reportedly emphasized the importance and symbolic nature of the day. He urged peace, unity, and forgiveness and called on Ethiopia's leaders to actively promote and strive for peace, as cited by the media.