Gondar was founded by emperor Fasilidas in 1636 and was the capital of the country for the next two centuries and has ended with the fall of Tewodros in 1868.  
The city contains a dozen castles built by the various emperors over the course of 236 years. The sights of Gondar are the castles contained within an Imperial enclosure. King fasilidas's castle dominoes and is the best preserved.

The castles are all built of stone with round turrets and wooden balconies. Others were built by subsequent monarchs and all that remains of them are the ruins of a library a stable a lion house and a house of songs king fasilidas's Baths are situated a mile outside the town close to the tomb of a famous horse.   The renewed palace and abbey of Kusquam stands on the Hills of Debretshai this wasbuilt by queen Mentuab, a peasant girl who became an empress.