The city of Gondar served as a permanent seat of government in Ethiopia for about four centuries, during which time the city witnessed the evolution of various quarters such as Ichage Bet, Abun Bet, Kayla Meda, Islam Bet and Digaye. While some of these quarters pre-date the city itself, others are new additions that are related to the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, 1935-1940. This book is of the saga of Gondar: its quarters tell stories of its socio-economic and cultural operations; about its Judaio-Christian and Islamic population and of its glorious past, its decadence and decay.