Highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia (Summer
1973)
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While I was waiting in Mekele, the capital of Tigray, for a permit to travel to
the Danakil desert, I heard for the first time of the old rock-hewn churches of
Tigray (believed to have been built between the 4th and 15th centuries) and I
decided that after my trek across the Danakil desert I would visit some of
them. Many of them are located in a relatively compact area northwest of Mekele. In 1973, there was almost no road, so I did these
visits by hiking from the town of Wukro located north
of Mekele on the main road between Asmara and Mekele. In my opinion (after several other trips to
Ethiopia and many other trips elsewhere), this is one of the most beautiful and
culturally interesting regions of the world. The churches are gorgeous and
highly diverse in shape, paintings and locations.
Landscapes
of the Tigrayan highlands.
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Large euphorbia tree.
People.
Orthodox priest.
Women and girls, some with a cross of
the Ethiopian Orthodox Church tattooed on their foreheads.
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Market
scenes.
Farms.
Preparing and eating injera
(Ethiopian bread).
Farmer bringing livestock back to farms.
Churches.
Wukro Chirkos.
Mikael Debre
Salam.
Inside the church of Mikael Debre Salam.
Partial view of the church of Abreha we Atsbeha.
Wall painting in Abreha
we Atsbeha.
Site of Maryam Korkor.
Site and access of the rock-hewn church
of Abune Yemata Guh in the Gheralta mountains.
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Painting showing nine apostles on the
cupola inside Abune Yemata Guh.
Paintings in Maryam Papaseit
church: Saint George on a white horse (left) and Mary, Jesus, and Saints
(right).
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Illustrated bible (location unknown).
Picture of the inside of a
(non-identified) church illustrating the amazing work that was required to
carve the rock-hewn churches.
Access gate to a church (not identified,
perhaps Maryam Papaseit).
Lithophones (stone bells).
People heading to a religious
celebration.
Priests in
front of their churches.
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Men meeting
and drinking tela (fermented barley) after a
religious celebration.
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Women staying outside the cave where men
are meeting.
Click the
following links to see other photos of my 1973 trip to Ethiopia:
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