Hundreds of Ethiopians gather to celebrate Timkat

A woman with a white shawl over her head and body has her hands in front of her mouth in a praying position. She has her eyes closed.

People gathered in Birmingham to mark the occasion

Chloe Hughes
BBC News, West Midlands

Hundreds of people have gathered in Birmingham to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Epiphany.

The colourful festival takes place on 19 January but festivities start on the evening before.

It marks the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan and is considered one of the most important religious festivals in Ethiopia.

Crowds, which included people from across the UK, met at the New Bingley Hall in the city at the weekend to mark the occasion.

A man in traditional gold and blue robes, with material going over his head. He wears a round hat with a cross at the front.

Timkat is celebrated by millions of people in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian church

Attendees take part in night-long prayers and hymn services leading up to the annual festival, which dates back to the 4th Century.

The event is registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Hundreds of people are gathered wearing traditional white religious robes, clapping as people on the right play the drums.

Hundreds of people turned out for the festival in Birmingham

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