Blue Nile, one of two main tributaries of the Nile River, which originates in Ethiopia known as the Abay in Amharic, the Blue Nile purported to originate in a spring in the Ethiopian Highlands, a holy site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. From this spring the Little Abay descends into Lake Tana.

The Aby, or Blue Nile, Plunges down the Tis Isat waterfall a short distance below Lake Tana. Just over 350 km (220 mi) farther south, it bends west into the Blue Nile Gorge, which reaches depths of more than 1000 m. (about 3,300 ft).

Bahir Dar is a settlement on southern shore of Lake Tana (Ethiopia’s largest lake), where local fishermen still use locally made canoes made out of papyrus reeds, and just 32 KM from the spectacular Tississat (Blue Nile) Falls. Here the Blue Nile Creates “Smoking Water”, an awe-Inspiring sight as it dives into the gorge below. For centuries Lake Tana has attracted mystics and religious individuals. Most of the Islands Possess invaluable historical documents, relics, and the remains of Ethiopian Kings in the medieval period, and have beautiful painted walls. These include Dek Estefan’s, Kibran Gabriel, (closed to Women), Ura Kidane Miheret with its famous Frescoes. The colorful local market at Bahir Dar is renowned for its weavers and wood workers.