Things to see and do Lac Tana

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.

This is one of the highlights of a visit to the religious sites of Lake Tana, unfortunately reserved for men only. It's a 30-minute climb to reach the sanctuary from the small boat harbor. Allow around 1h30 for the round trip. The monastery-church on an islet is home to the largest monastic community on the lake: some two hundred monks are recluses here. Legend has it that the monastery was founded by a saint in 1268, sailing on a stone boat, which can still be seen halfway along the path. Restored in the ^19th century, the sanctuary preserves, alongside contemporary paintings, canvases and paintings from the prosperous ^15th and ^16th centuries. But that's not why visitors come here. The centerpiece are the mummified bodies of Ethiopian sovereigns, encased in glass sarcophagi. The reason for the presence of the remains of emperors who reigned during the long Gondaran dynasty remains unclear. Here lie the remains of Yekouno Amlak (^13th century), Dawit ^I and Zara Yakob (^15th century), Libne Dingle (^16th century) and Fasiladas (^17th century). Having collapsed several years ago, the monastery is still being rebuilt and the monks are hard at work. The mummies can be seen in a small temporary museum at the top of the hill. No explanations in English or any other language on site, so take a guide to Bahar Dar if you want to find out more.

The nearest monastery island, Bahar Dar, is around 30 minutes away by boat. It is home to a community of some forty monks in a serene wooded environment. The church, rebuilt in the ^17th century, features a series of paintings in a poor state of preservation, but of great interest. Nearby, a small, well-appointed museum displays a collection of crosses and manuscripts of the utmost importance. The library is said to contain over 200 of them! The monk in charge of the tour is full of explanations.

Located around 15 km from Bahar Dar, the Zegue peninsula is the most popular excursion on Lake Tana, and requires a half-day visit. We linger at three sites: Urane Kidet, Azwa Maryam and Beta Maryam, a pretext for a stroll along the peninsula's coffee-growing rainforest landscapes. Hermits seeking isolation from the world founded the first Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana in the ^4th century. Today's buildings date from the ^18th century. The boat can pick you up on the other side if you have privatized it. Insistent souvenir sellers line this tourist route.

Transportation. To get there, you can take the local shuttle boat (25 birr) which leaves every hour and takes 1 hour (first departure 7am, return 8am, etc.), but be aware that the last returns are quite early (ask around 3 or 4pm). To privatize a boat for 1 to 5 people, expect to pay 500 birr for half a day, including fuel and driver, the advantage being that you take your time and we wait for you.

Guides. They're waiting for you at the boat's exit when you dock on the Zegue peninsula, and from now on a local guide is compulsory. So don't take one in port or in town if that's the only place you plan to go, because you'll end up paying twice! They're young, and lately we've found them quite well trained and educational in explaining the paintings, construction and architecture. It's a very interesting visit, and the friendly guides know how to keep the pushy salesmen on the side path at bay. We recommend walking with the guide, as the scenery is magnificent and he'll lead you to a small viewpoint.

Ura Kidane Mehret Church. Located on the Zegue peninsula, which is also home to the Beta Mariam and Azwa Mariam churches (Beta Giorgis having burned down), Ura Kidane Mehret is one of Lake Tana's most important sanctuaries, famous for its paintings dating from the ^18th to ^20th centuries, most of which have been restored. The circular, thatched church houses a maqdas entirely covered with biblical and historical scenes, which unfold in a sort of immense comic strip. Nearby, a small museum holds some interesting treasures: crowns, crosses, a Bible... Easily accessible, the church is much visited, attracting a throng of souvenir sellers, children and "guides" who are as tiresome as they are useless. Pretending not to understand English is a good way to ignore them.

Azwa Maryam Monastery. Following a 1.5 km path from Ura Kidane, we reach Azwa Maryam, a ^14th-century circular church with ^18th-century paintings. The priest's treasure trove includes many antiques.

Mehal Giyorgis Church. On the other side of the valley, 2 km from Ura Kidane along a different path, is Mehal Giyorgis, founded in the ^13th century and rebuilt and embellished with paintings in the ^18th century. According to legend, its founder was Abune Betre Mariam, one of the seven Ethiopian saints who dedicated his life to the expansion of monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana. The adjacent Abune Bete Mariyam church houses a museum with icons, murals, crowns, crosses, vestments, illuminated manuscripts..