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38-745: Omo National Park is located on the west bank of the Omo River in the lower Omo Valley. The park is 140 km long, stretching from the Neruze River in the south to the Sharum plain in the north, and up to 60 km wide where the Park Headquarters are situated. Major land features include the Omo River on the east, the Maji Mountains, the Sharum, and Sai plains to the north and west, and the Illibai plains and Dirga Hills to

76-525: A community tourism project. The Gibe III hydroelectric dam , in the middle Basin of the Omo and completed in October 2015, will greatly modify the flood regime upon which thousands of people in the lower basin depend for their livelihoods. By regulating the river flows, and 'uplifting' the low flows during the dry season, it will also make possible the development of large-scale commercial irrigation schemes, although

114-516: A considerable spread, with a dense round crown of spreading branches. The leaves are heart-shaped with a round apex, 14 cm long by 10 cm wide, and arranged spirally around the twig. They are dark green above and lighter with prominent yellow veins below, and both surfaces are rough to the touch. The petiole is 0.5–3 cm long and pubescent. The fruit is a large edible fig, 2–3 cm in diameter, ripening from buff-green to yellow or red. They are borne in thick clusters on long branchlets or

152-437: A tree with human body parts, such as an arm or breast. It was the most significant depicted life giving tree in ancient Egypt. Sycamores are referenced in ancient Egyptian love poetry as a meeting place for lovers. There are also references to twin sycamores of turquoise in funerary contexts which Ra comes forth from, indicating they likely face east, or are located on the eastern horizon. In modern Egyptian folklore,

190-555: A tugoin . Ceremonial duelling ( thagine ), a form of ritualised male violence, is a highly valued and popular activity of Mursi men, especially unmarried men, and a key marker of Mursi identity. Age sets are an important political feature, where men are formed into named "age sets" and pass through a number of "age grades" during the course of their lives; married women have the same age grade status as their husbands. The African Parks Foundation and government park officials are accused of coercing Mursi into giving up their land within

228-549: A tumwin ), such as a rainbow or a bird. The principal religious and ritual office in the society is that of the Kômoru, the Priest or Shaman. This is an inherited office, unlike the more informal political role of the Jalaba. The Kômoru embodies in his person the well-being of the group as a whole and acts as a means of communication between the community and the god ( Tumwi ), especially when it

266-531: A well known aspect of the Mursi and Surma , who are probably the last groups in Africa amongst whom it is still the norm for women to wear large pottery, wooden discs, or 'plates', in their lower lips. Girls' lips are pierced at the age of 15 or 16. Occasionally lip plates are worn to a dance by unmarried women, and increasingly they are worn to attract tourists in order to earn some extra money. Lip plates are known as dhebi

304-560: Is a sycamore known as the Tree of the Virgin, which serves as a pilgrimage site. It is not the same tree; instead, when the previous tree that stands in this spot dies, a new one is planted from cuttings of the old tree. It is said that the Holy Family took refuge in this tree. The Coptic pope Theophilus also recounted that Joseph had a walking stick, which an infant Jesus broke. When Joseph buried

342-513: Is closely related (over 80% cognate) to Me'en , Suri , Kwegu , and tribes in South Sudan such as Murle , Didinga , Tennet and Boya . According to the 1994 national census, there were 3,163 people who were identified as Mursi in the SNNPR; 3,158 spoke Mursi as their first language, while 31 spoke it as their second language. According to the analytical volume of the 1994 national census, where Mursi

380-621: Is considered to be, par excellence, the priestly clan, but there are priestly families in two other clans, namely Garikuli and Bumai. The religion of the Mursi people is classified as animism , although some Mursi have adopted Christianity. There is a Serving in Mission Station in the northeastern corner of Mursiland, which provides education, basic medical care and instruction in Christianity . The Mursi undergo various rites of passage, educational or disciplinary processes. Lip plates are

418-437: Is home to large herds of buffalos , zebras , elands , beisa oryxes , tiangs , Lelwel hartebeests , dik-diks , bushbucks , reedbucks , and Grant's gazelles . Other mammals that are elusively rare to find include elephants , lions , leopards , cheetahs , bushpigs , African wild dogs , giraffes , oribis , klipspringers , greater kudus , hyenas , black rhinoceros , hippopotamuses , and warthogs . Primates such as

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456-478: Is more slender, has smaller leaves and has smaller yellowish pear shaped fruits. In modern history, many Egyptians would once a year (on the day of a particular saint) make a ring of bruises and cuts around the base of their sycamore trees. According to botanists Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, cultivation of this species was "almost exclusively" by the ancient Egyptians . Remains of F. sycomorus begin to appear in predynastic times and occur in quantity from

494-442: Is mostly open savannah, thickets, and riverine woodland that lies near the western banks of the Omo River. Species include Ficus sycomorus , Tapura fischeri , Melanodiscus oblongus , Celtis integrifolia , Trichilia roka , Cordia sinensis , Acacia mellifera , and Ziziphus mauritiana . The park offers excellent opportunities to view wildlife with 73 species of mammals and 312 species of birds. Omo National Park

532-745: Is native to Africa south of the Sahel and north of the Tropic of Capricorn , also excluding the central-west rainforest areas. It also grows naturally in Lebanon ; in the southern Arabian Peninsula ; in Cyprus ; in very localised areas in Madagascar ; and in Israel , Palestine and Egypt . In its native habitat, the tree is usually found in rich soils along rivers and in mixed woodlands. Ficus sycomorus grows to 20 m tall and has

570-505: Is the more suitable Latin-based alphabet. The Latin-based orthography was developed by David Turton and Moges Yigezu of Addis Ababa University . Like many agro-pastoralists in East Africa, the Mursi believe that they experience a force greater than themselves, which they call Tumwi . This is usually located in the Sky, although sometimes Tumwi manifests itself as a thing of the sky ( ahi

608-473: Is threatened by such events as drought, crop pests and disease. His role is characterized by the performance of public rituals to bring rain, to protect men, cattle and crops from disease, and to ward off threatened attacks from other tribes. Ideally, in order to preserve this link between the people and the Tumwi, the Kômoru should not leave Mursiland or even his local group ( bhuran ). One clan in particular, Komortê,

646-615: The Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region , close to the border with South Sudan . According to the 2007 national census, there are 11,500 Mursi, 848 of whom live in urban areas; of the total number, 92.25% live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR). Surrounded by mountains between the Omo River and its tributary the Mago ,

684-572: The Hebrew Bible , the sycomore is referred to seven times ( Biblical Hebrew : שִׁקְמָה , romanized:  shiqmā ; Strong's number 8256) and once in the New Testament ( Koinē Greek : συκομoραία , romanized:  sykomoraia or συκομορέα sykomorea ; Strong's number 4809). It was a popular and valuable fruit tree in Jericho and the wider Land of Canaan . In El Matareya , there

722-592: The Mantled guerezas , Olive baboons , and De Brazza monkeys also live within forested areas. Bird species of this park consist of ostriches , eagles , egrets , herons , barbets , honeyguides , kingfishers , Secretary birds , woodpeckers , parrots , shrikes , and weavers also thrived here. Omo national park is also home to nile crocodiles , Black mambas , African spurred tortoises , Black-necked spitting cobras , Rhombic Night Adder , puff adders , and rock pythons that are common here. The lower reaches of

760-458: The fig-mulberry (because the leaves resemble those of the mulberry ), sycamore , or sycomore , is a fig species that has been cultivated since ancient times. The term sycamore spelled with an A has also been used for unrelated trees: the great maple, Acer pseudoplatanus , or plane trees, Platanus . The spelling "sycomore", with an O rather than an A as the second vowel is, if used, specific to Ficus sycomorus . Ficus sycomorus

798-521: The Omo National Park and leaving Ethiopia. AP stated that sustainable management of the Ethiopian parks is incompatible with 'the irresponsible way of living of some of the ethnic groups. The organization has trouble dealing with the indigenous population trying to continue its traditional way of life within the park borders. Ficus sycomorus Ficus sycomorus , called the sycamore fig or

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836-545: The Omo river were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, after the discovery (in the Omo Kibish Formation ) of the earliest known fossil fragments of Homo sapiens , which have been dated circa 195,000 years old. There is virtually no tourist infrastructure within the park and little support for travelers. It was reported in 1999 that none of the tourist agencies within or outside Ethiopia would arrange tours in

874-516: The boundaries of the Omo National Park without compensation. The documents are being used to legalize the boundaries of the park, which African Parks has taken over. A group called "Native Solutions to Conservation Refugees" says that the documents will make the Mursi 'illegal squatters' on their own land and that a similar fate is befalling the Suri , Dizi, Me'en, and Nyangatom , who also live within

912-507: The demarcation of the Park boundaries in November 2005, and the recent management takeover of the park by African Parks . This process threatens to make the Omo people illegal squatters on their land. There are reports that these tribal peoples have been coerced into signing documents they could not read by Park officials. In October 2008, African Parks announced they were giving up the management of

950-836: The home of the Mursi is one of the most isolated regions of the country. Their neighbors include the Aari , the Banna , the Mekan , the Karo , the Kwegu , the Nyangatom and the Suri . They are grouped together with the Me'en and Kwegu by the Ethiopian government under the name Surma . The Mursi speak the Mursi language as a mother tongue . It is a part of the Surmic language family . Mursi

988-457: The latest report commissioned suggests that there is not enough water in the Omo River to irrigate the proposed area of plantations. The most ambitious of these is already being implemented by the state-run Ethiopian Sugar Corporation on land either taken from the Omo National Park or currently occupied by the Bodi, Mursi, Nyangatom and Kara. If current plans are realised the lower Omo will become by far

1026-837: The leaf axil. Flowering and fruiting occurs year-round, peaking from July to December. The bark is green-yellow to orange and exfoliates in papery strips to reveal the yellow inner bark. Like all other figs, it contains a latex . The fruit is produced year round, starting in April or a bit later depending on variety, and continuing into winter. It is sometimes separated into five successive "crops". Two major varieties are known in Egypt. Roumi (also called Falaki or Turki), which has more horizontally spread branches, stouter shoots and petioles, more densely spaced leaves that are wider than they are long, and larger, flatter, broad pink fruits; and Kelabi (also called Arabi or Beledi), which has more vertical branches,

1064-618: The park. After the African Parks Foundation took over Omo National Park , the Mursi feared that they would eventually be evicted from their land like the Guji-Oromo in Nechasar National Park. Due to mounting pressures from human rights activists, African Parks Foundation announced its plans to leave Omo National Park in 2007. The Mursi have declared their territory a community conservation area as of July 2008 and have begun

1102-421: The park. The Walta Information Center announced on 3 October 2006 that US$ 1 million had been allocated to construct "roads and recreational centers as well as various communication facilities" with the intent to attract more visitors. The Mursi , Suri , Nyangatom , Dizi , and Me'en are reported in danger of displacement and/or denial of access to their traditional grazing and agricultural land. This follows

1140-400: The pieces of the stick, a sycamore grew forth and provided shelter. In Ancient Egypt, the sycamore was associated with the goddesses Hathor , Isis , and Nut . In the case of the latter, prayers exist referring to the "sycamore of Nut", and asking for water and breath. These goddesses were sometimes depicted as trees, sometimes standing in front of them with vessels of water, or sometimes as

1178-407: The south. There are three hot springs, and the park is crossed by some rivers, all of which drain into the Omo. The Mui River crosses the middle of the park before joining the Omo River. Much of the park is at 800m but the southern part by the Neruze River drops to 450 m. The highest peak of Maji Mountains which is located within the park is 1,541 m above sea level. The vegetation of Omo National Park

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1216-465: The start of the third millennium BC . It was the ancient Egyptian tree of life . Zohary and Hopf note that "the fruit and the timber, and sometimes even the twigs, are richly represented in the tombs of the Egyptian Early, Middle and Late Kingdoms." In numerous cases the parched fruiting bodies, known as sycons , "bear characteristic gashing marks indicating that this art, which induces ripening,

1254-425: The sycamore retains an association with mysticism and magic. In the story "It Serves Me Right!", it is used to represent the Tree of Lifespans. The fruit from this tree dries up at the end of a life, but is fresh when one still has more life to live. Therefore, the inhabitants of a land found at the bottom of a well in the story only eat the dry, bad sycamore fruits and leave the good ones alone. In Kikuyu religion ,

1292-619: The sycamore tree was brought to Israel by Philistines during the Iron Age, along with opium poppy and cumin . These sycamore trees used to be numerous in western Beirut , lending their name to the neighborhood of Gemmayzeh (( الْجُمَّيْزَة al-Ǧummayzah ), "sycamore fig"). However, the trees have largely disappeared from this area. In the Near East F. sycomorus is an orchard and ornamental tree of great importance and extensive use. It has wide-spreading branches and affords shade . In

1330-563: The sycomore is a sacred tree. All sacrifices to Ngai (or Murungu), the supreme creator, were performed under the tree. Whenever the mugumo tree fell, it symbolised a bad omen and rituals had to be performed by elders in the society. Some of those ceremonies carried out under the Mugumo tree are still observed. Mursi people The Mursi (or Mun as they refer to themselves) are a Surmic ethnic group in Ethiopia . They principally reside in

1368-433: The wasp is common, complex mini-ecosystems involving the wasp, nematodes, other parasitic wasps, and various larger predators revolve around the life cycle of the fig. The trees' random production of fruit in such environments assures its constant attendance by the insects and animals which form this ecosystem. Sycamores were often planted around artificial pools in ancient Egyptian gardens. A study in 2015 indicated that

1406-509: Was grouped under Me'en, 89.7% were monolingual, and the second languages spoken were Bench (4.2%), Amharic , which serves as one of the six official languages of Ethiopia. (3.5%), and Kafa (1.1%). Two orthographies for the Mursi language exist. One is the Amharic-based , although the Mursi language is one of the Surmic languages with incompatible vowel structures and stressed and unstressed consonants compared to Amharic . The second

1444-453: Was practised in Egypt in ancient times." Although this species of fig requires the presence of the symbiotic wasp Ceratosolen arabicus to reproduce sexually, and this insect is extinct in Egypt, Zohay and Hopf have no doubt that Egypt was "the principal area of sycamore fig development." Some of the caskets of mummies in Egypt are made from the wood of this tree. In tropical areas where

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