Previously posted on MySpace April 2, 2008
As I was doing research for a novel, I ran across a reference to a 6th Century monastery atop Debre Damo in Northern Ethiopia. Debre Damo is a flat-topped mountain called an amba.
It’s a four hour drive from Axum until you get to a place where the road stops. From there, you’d have to hike up a hill for around two hours. And, finally the only way you can reach the monastery is via a 25-meter climb up a sheer cliff. In short, you better be pretty serious about visiting this place.
Drawing some of the heartier tourists, scholars, and believers, the monastery at Debre Damo is built around Ethiopia’s oldest church with its intricate carvings on the beams and ceiling. The monastery is also known for its collections of ancient manuscripts and paintings. Now, a lot of this info can be gleaned from the Wikipedia entry, so I’ll just stop blathering for now and let the pictures speak for awhile.
In addition to Wikipedia, I also derived my information from this Naty Tours description and from Dinknesh Tours.
Drawing some of the heartier tourists, scholars, and believers, the monastery at Debre Damo is built around Ethiopia’s oldest church with its intricate carvings on the beams and ceiling. The monastery is also known for its collections of ancient manuscripts and paintings. Now, a lot of this info can be gleaned from the Wikipedia entry, so I’ll just stop blathering for now and let the pictures speak for awhile.
In addition to Wikipedia, I also derived my information from this Naty Tours description and from Dinknesh Tours.
Maybe I’ll get there myself one day. I just thought one or two people might be interested.
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