The most beautiful churches cathedrals basilicas and chapels Ethiopia

This church is undoubtedly the most difficult to reach, due to its spectacular location, buried as it is in the heart of a rocky outcrop, which can be seen from Mariam Korkor at the end of the rocky façade stretching north-westwards. It's also the best-known church in Tigray. After a good hour's ascent, many give up on the final stretch: a small sheer drop pierced by irregular holes where you have to cling on hand and foot, a few dead branches serving incidentally as a handrail - and recently, at last, a rope to get over the most perilous wall passage. If you're afraid of heights, don't bother - it's mission impossible! Those who overcome the obstacle won't regret it: the entrance to the church is located at the end of a narrow passage running alongside a vertiginous cliff. A few meters of this is a guaranteed thrill. Once your eyes have become accustomed to the darkness, you'll discover the frescoes that adorn the sanctuary. They are described as the finest ever discovered in the Tigray region. On the entrance ceiling, nine figures in a circle are identified by inscriptions as eight of the apostles and, according to an unconfirmed theory, Christ's brother is depicted. On the other dome, eight figures in the same posture represent eight of the nine Syrian saints who, according to tradition, were responsible for the evangelization of the country from the ^6th century onwards. The ninth, Abouna Yemata himself, is depicted on horseback on one of the walls. The freshness of the colors is an indication that these paintings date from the ^15th or ^16th century. The young priest in charge of this church will be happy to show you some richly illustrated and well-preserved ancient gheze bibles.

Please note. Due to the success of this church, which is very popular with tourists, the rope "helpers" have no qualms about trying to extort money from tourists (even though the rope was provided free of charge by an association to make the site a little safer). They ask for 100 birr each after helping you down, even if it means blocking your way if you don't comply. Don't let them do this to you, as it's not normal. Give them 50 birr for each person you help, and that's more than enough. The priest will also ask for 100 birrs per person, which is more like 50 birrs on top of the entrance fee.

If you have to limit yourself to just a few churches, this visit is a must in Tigray. Access to the churches is challenging, to say the least, but the panorama is spectacular throughout the hike. After a short walk across the fields at the foot of the cliff, the climb begins through a narrow, steep fault into which a natural staircase is carved. Once you've reached the first level, you can continue climbing either on the rock itself or along a winding, but less vertiginous path. Finally, after a good hour's climbing, the church's variegated facade comes into view. The interior is organized on a classical three-aisle plan, topped by a dome painted with a Greek cross motif. The arcaded walls feature a bestiary of human-headed animals, a winged monster and other more classical biblical figures and scenes. These paintings, by various artists, date from between the ^13th and ^17th centuries.

Not far away, along an impressive precipice, nestles the little cave church of Adouna Daniel, consisting of two richly decorated cavities. Getting there is quite magical, with an infinite panorama of splendid beauty. As the tabot has been transferred to Mariam Korkor, the sanctuary is considered abandoned. Before starting the descent, the extraordinary panorama embracing the Hausien plains, the Geralta mountains and, to the east, the Imbasneity mountains, helps you to regain your composure.

The rectangular church, the ancient temple forbidden to women, was built in the ^17th century by King Fasilidas on the site of what was probably the first church in Africa, erected in the early ^4th century under the reign of Ezana. Enlarged in the ^6th century by King Kaleb into a majestic cathedral, the edifice was probably destroyed after the fall of the kingdom of Aksum, and again in the ^16th century during the Gragn raids.

Today's architecture, with its crenellated walls and three naves topped by domes, is reminiscent of Gondaran buildings. The building, where some Ethiopian sovereigns were crowned, houses an interesting collection of musical instruments and crosses.

In 1952, Emperor Haile Selassie undertook the construction of a new cathedral as a reminder of the spiritual importance of this cradle of Ethiopian Christianity. Also dedicated to St. Mary of Sion, the basilica stands out from the landscape.

Between the two churches stands a strange chapel, home to Ethiopia's thickest mystery, the legendary Ark of the Covenant. The chest which, according to the Bible, contains the Tables of the Law of the Ten Commandments. The Church of Ethiopia's account of the Ark is based on the Kebra Nagast, a ^14th-century book that established the myth of Solomonic royalty. The Ark is said to have been offered by the Hebrew king Solomon to Queen Makeda of Sheba after his visit to Jerusalem. It was then taken to Ethiopia by their son Menelik. Today, it is hidden from the eyes of men and guarded by a voluntary prisoner, confined to the building for life. Off-limits to women, the building's basement contains an important treasure trove of crosses, crowns and musical instruments. In the sanctuary's garden, note the presence of large carved stone blocks, the bases of ancient thrones on which Ethiopian sovereigns were crowned, but which were probably also dedicated to pre-Christian divinities. Outside the enclosure, the small church of Arbatu Ensessa is worth a visit for its remarkable murals.

The church is once again part of history, tragically, as the Maryam Ts'iyon massacre took place here in December 2020 during the Tigray war. According to Amnesty International, some 750 people who had taken refuge in the church were executed in the square by the Ethiopian army and Amhara militia.

Considered one of the oldest churches in Tigray, it dates back to the ^10th or ^11th century. On the façade, imposing pillars seem to support the top of the rock in the form of a natural roof. Once past a sort of atrium, the sanctuary is entered through two doors decorated with massive Axumite-style wooden frames. The vast interior (10 m x 10 m) features superb sculpted decoration, with no frescoes to disturb the perfect layout.

A 20-minute walk from the Petros and Paulos church, this sanctuary can be spotted on the side of an isolated rock surrounded by a clump of eucalyptus and olive trees. Access, through a strangely low doorway, opens onto an interior dug into the mountain (it's a hypogeum church), whose decoration is dominated by symbolic sculpture carved into the rock, in the dome, and in a complex and unprecedented style. The church has no paintings, however.

Partially excavated and partially constructed, the church appears to be suspended in the middle of the wall, whose ascent is in a somewhat difficult place. The sanctuary has beautiful frescoes, unfortunately in a poor state of conservation since the place is decommissioned. The tabot was transferred to a new church, carved in the rock, between 1982 and 1996, by a priest in the region. To explain the reason for his book, Alaka Halefom, his director, declared that he had ordered the Archangel Gabriel.

There's nothing on the façade to suggest the refinement of the interior of the sanctuary, entirely excavated from the rock. The kené malhet (where the choir is held) and the naves are supported by openwork pillars with capitals. The domes and 9 m high ceilings are decorated with Greek crosses, and the lintels of the blind windows are in the Axumite style. Recent paintings complete the decoration. As the church is isolated (2 hours from Hawzen, or more depending on the state of the track), take a guide who will be able to contact the priest before you get there.

The church is hemmed in by narrow sandstone walls that open onto two doors, one for men, the other for women. The vast interior (10 m wide, 13 m deep and 6 m high) is surprisingly well decorated. The well-preserved paintings are in a primitive style unseen in the region. The iconography, featuring Adam and Eve, the Virgin and Child, the Apostle Paul and various equestrian saints from the Ethiopian tradition, is marked by Byzantine and Nubian influences. Impressive and mysterious.

The island of Deq, 5 km in diameter, is the largest on the lake. It is largely covered by crops and also produces a large amount of honey. Little visited, the place has a little extra soul, and the priest enjoys chatting with visitors while he displays the church treasure. It takes a full day's boat trip to reach the Nerga Selassie Church. The most accomplished example of Lake Tana church architecture and religious art, built in the ^18th century, is dedicated to the Trinity. This is the highlight of a visit to the churches of Lake Tana, especially for women, who are forbidden to enter several major monasteries. Nerga Sélassié is one of the most richly decorated churches on Lake Tana, adorned with well-preserved paintings in shimmering colors. Nerga Sélassié is one of the finest examples of Gondaran-style circular churches, with an exterior gallery. The sanctuary was built by Empress Mentewab, wife of the Gondaran dynasty's Negus Bacaffa and regent during the reign of her son Iyassou II (1730-1755). She is depicted at the foot of a Virgin and Child. In the midst of classical iconography depicting the lives of Jesus and Mary, we note the Church's struggle against pagan beliefs, including that of sea monsters, symbolized by a fish carrying a church on its back and pierced by an angel's spear. Note also the ogre cutting out his tongue.

The eponymous island can be reached from the eastern shore of the lake, on the road to Gondar, or via the lake, in a 30-minute boat ride from Bahar Dar. It is possible to hire the services of a tankwa, less expensive than an official tour boat, just for this nearby monastery. In this case, the crossing can be a little wet. Rebuilt in the ^19th century on the site of an earlier sanctuary, the monastery has no major interest beyond the small treasure it preserves. It is rarely visited, except perhaps by travellers short of time and money.

The island is less interesting for the rectangular church it houses, which is undoubtedly recent, than for the legends that surround it and give it its historical importance. It was here that the Holy Family fled to Egypt, taking refuge even further south. It is also where, according to tradition, the Ark of the Covenant was housed for eight to ten centuries before reaching Aksum. The priests, steeped in mythology, will show you the traces of the passage of all these distinguished residents.