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Gorgora (Ge'ez: ጎርጎራ Gōrgōrā, also, especially formerly, ጐርጐራ Gʷargʷarā, modern prononciation Gʷergʷerā) is a town and peninsula in northwestern Ethiopia. Located south of Gondar on the north shore of Lake Tana, in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a longitude and latitude of 12°14′N, 37°18′E.

Gorgora refers to a small peninsula jutting into Lake Tana as well as to a small village hosting a harbour. The peninsula was important in the past as the siite of an important Jesuit residence: "Old" Gorgora was located 5 km northeast, inland from Maryam Gimb, which was called [New] Gorgora, and 5 km west of Debre Sina and its churches (usually not considered a city in its own right).^[1]

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Gorgora has an estimated total population of 4783 of whom 2283 were males and 2500 were females.^[2]

Ferries sail from the port to Bahir Dar via Kunzela and Dek Island.

Gorgora served as one of the early capitals of Ethiopia during the reigns of Emperor Susenyos I. Gorgora served as one of the early capitals of Ethiopia during the reigns of Emperor Susenyos I and his son Fasilides before Fasilides founded Gondar. It was selected as a capital as it started with the letter "gʷa" (Ge'ez: ጐ), as dictated by a prophesy of the time (the same prophesy lead to the rise of Gondar). The important Jesuit ruins can still be seen, although most of the buildings fell following an earthquake in the 1950s.^{[citation needed]} The town is known for the Debre Sina church (built in 1608), its many monasteries, the palace of Susenyos I located nearby, and the Portuguese cathedral that was abandoned after Emperor Fasilides expelled the Jesuits.

1. ^ Andreu Martinez, "Gorgora", in Siegbert Uhlig, ed., Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 2, Wiesbaden: Harrasowitz, 2005, pp.853-4.
2. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.4

• The View From Gondar: Part III, Gorgora by John Graham (Addis Tribune)