Built to house the Ark of the Covenant - Debre Birhan Selassie

Heavily laden donkeys on way to market 

Airport Ethiopian style at Lalibela

 It is Saturday, market day, in Lalibela, and we are set to fly to Gondar, the "Camelot of Africa", famous for its medieval castles and churches. In particular we will enjoy a tour of the Royal Enclosure of Fasil Ghebbi and the most incredibly beautiful church interior.

cattle on way to market

As our coach makes its way along the twisting road towards the airport we pass swarms of people and animals walking in both directions, to and from the market. This is subsistence living. People sell to buy what they need most in that moment, be it food or fuel or clothes or animals. But market is about much more than that. Johannes tells us that the market is also a place to spot stolen goods, to find and court the girls, to find mediators to settle disputes of all kinds, and simply for communication, the oil of human relationship and society.

entrance to the church

The federal police check our visas at the airport perimeter, then all our bags go through security screening at the entrance into the building and we go through the usual full security search ourselves after check in to go through to departures. In the light of the awful Paris terrorist attack that we have just heard about this all seems very essential. There was a French party at our hotel last night in Lalibela and they were visibly and justifiably distressed by the news back home. 

I wrote in my diary for the day: "Jesus wept. God must be weeping".

Icons of Holy Trinity and Crucifixion
above the Holy of  Holies entrance 

Mayleko Lodge hotel - lovely

"Jesus wept" - John 11: v. 35 - the shortest verse in the Bible, with a load of significance. Jesus wept because of his humanity, weeping with those who weep, because he is full of love for mankind. How he must weep now.

It is a very short flight from Lalibela to Gondar and soon we are back in a coach for the 10 minute drive to our hotel - Mayleko Lodge - I had worried about this - thinking of Gatwick and Heathrow and flight paths and noise! But I didn't have to. There are only a couple or so flights a day it seems - and the planes are small anyway and quiet. And the hotel is fabulous! We all have our own cottages - in the traditional local thatched style, with huge rooms, spotlessly clean and with all mod cons. including huge walk-in showers (Just use the water for a shower when it is available - like much of Ethiopia water is scarce and the supply temperamental) and massive balconies where we can soak up the sunshine and the view. And it is hot. A few take advantage of the short while available before lunch to enjoy a swim in the pool. The birdlife here is super - we are surrounded by birdsong in pretty gardens with different coloured hibiscus lining the paths leading up to the pool and the restaurant at the top of the site, which affords great views over the countryside.

vultures outside the church

wall paintings

Soon we are back in the coach for our first attraction of the day - Debre Birhan Selassie (or Mountain of the Enlightened Trinity) - the only church in Gondar which escaped the 1888 Mahdist invasion from the Sudan unscathed - legend tells us that an angry swarm of bees intervened to keep the soldiers back, with the help of the Archangel Michael holding a flaming sword. All the other churches in the city were torched. 

Debre Birhan Selassie

This church is incredible for the beautiful eighteenth paintings that totally adorn its inner walls and ceiling. 

school books for sale on Gondar pavement

They variously represent the Life of Christ, the lives of early Christian saints and their rather nasty martyrdoms - all watched over by hundreds of painted angels on the ceiling and arches. The church was built in the 1690s to the same dimensions as the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, reputedly to house the Ark of the Covenant when it was brought over to Ethiopia. We will visit the church again tomorrow, Sunday, to observe a service in progress. 

The street sights as we drive through Gondar are endlessly fascinating. Blue tuk tuks everywhere - hundreds are watching a boxing match in one of the large squares - street vendors everywhere - we even see our first motor car!! 

Feast Day in Lalibela at Na'akuto La'ab

all the white clad pilgrims on the road on way to church

This was the most unusual day of the whole trip - something none of us had ever experienced before. And what an experience it was. Friday 13th November 2015 - (3 Hadar 2008 in the Ethiopian calendar) the third Ethiopian day of the third Ethiopian month and an important feast day for the Orthodox Christian community in Lalibela, so 

we change our itinerary in order that we can absorb for ourselves this extraordinary spiritual event.

the church inside the cave we are making our way to

I wrote in my diary for the day:

Overwhelming, spiritually, physically and mentally.

Frightening - the crush of people - tiny children in among it all - the policeman who looked after our shoes for us - the guns, batons and high security around the church entrance.

the crush on the path down to the
church

Ululating, the long high pitched and wavering sound, almost trilling, that comes out of the mouths of the priests and people. We heard it here in the church, from the priests, as they swayed in unison in a curious spiritual dance, and we would wake up later in the trip in the very early hours of the morning to hear the same sound as people made their way in the early dawn to a local church above our hotel in Gondar. Somehow or other the tongue and uvula together can create this sound. I wonder how long it takes to learn the technique? It is very much a feature of worship in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

resting on way to church - in background

Then there was the rhythmic music of the drums and the sistrum, shaken vigorously by the cantors as they danced, and the tall prayer sticks often used to keep that rhythm.

In fact all the emotions felt thoroughly assaulted by the end of our experience….

So much so that many of us felt very much in need of a strong coffee and a quiet place!   

pilgrims climb back from church in right
background

But I'm getting ahead of myself. As we drive from our hotel to the little cave church of Na'akuto La'ab about 6km south of Lalibela towards the airport, we are at once struck by the columns of people, nearly all dressed in their white gabbi or shama, the white cloths worn toga like by men and women respectively (Netela are similar but have brightly embroidered borders). All these men, women and children are streaming along the road as far as the eye can see, coming from every direction, all making their way towards the church, giving the appearance of a long white slow moving snake hugging the curves of the road into the distance. It is a 90 minute walk for them from Lalibela along the tarmac road. Many take short cuts across the countryside along what appear to be well worn pathways. Along the way we stop to buy candles from one of the many vendors plying their wares. We buy ours from a boy who is visually impaired, chosen by our guide, and it is good to support him in this small way.

taking time out by the side of the path

The little church we are making our way towards was built by Na'akuto La'ab, the nephew of King Lalibela and his successor, although as with many sites in Ethiopia there seem to be several conflicting traditions around his reign and the foundation of the church which bears his name. 

inside the cave, outside the church

The coach turns off the main road and we bump along for a short while on a rough track before disembarking to walk the rest of the way to the church. As we make our way down the rough track along the cliff edge we are jostled from all directions, and this is the only time on the whole trip when we are warned to keep valuables close to us. People all around us are going in our direction, but there are just as many coming back up the path, and there is no lane discipline! The services here carry on for a long time and people come and go as they please, it seems. Some simply go to receive a blessing. We are given dust - it may be charcoal - to mark a cross on our foreheads, reminiscent of our own Ash Wednesday service - "dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return" - this tradition originated in Old Testament times and ashes then as now symbolise mourning, mortality and penance. 

note man in orange - priest - holding
prayer staff

Somehow we all arrive through the crowds at the mouth of the cave and manage to fight our way inside! It's a struggle and somewhat frightening but we stay inside long enough to experience the ululating, the dance and the music. But very soon we are glad to force our way back out side away from the crush which was actually alarming for some of us who are not so tall. As I left, carefully sidestepping around a lady sitting on the floor, totally hidden from most of us in the heaving mass of the crowd, I was astonished to see she had a very small child hugging close in to the folds of her garment. I feel very sure that there must be some injuries in such a crush but we survived intact!

villagers gather at top of path to church

And we marvelled at the shoes strewn everywhere along the path to be found again after coming out of the church. We have to assume that as long as the men, women and children all find a pair that fit and perhaps are the right colour they are broadly happy. The shoes are mostly plastic flip flops or plastic sandals, mostly brightly coloured. There is no way they could hope to find the exact pair they started the day off with!!

A few links to further information:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africaandindianocean/ethiopia/11512559/Ethiopia-holy-days-and-highland-rock-churches.html

http://www.lalibela-eco-trekking.com/festival-event/index.html

http://onegreenstone.com/ethiopian-festivals/

Lalibela rock hewn churches - the Southern cluster

view from Ben Abeba restaurant 

 We are on our way back from Yemrehane Christos monastery, 2700 metres up in beautiful isolation north east of Lalibela. We came by coach and climbed the 195 steps up through lovely Juniper forest to the monastery.

It is apparently possible to visit by mule from Lalibela, a 10-12 hour round trip if you feel inclined, or would be unable to manage the steps.

traditional coffee making at Ben Abeba

This afternoon we will be visiting the five churches in the second, South Eastern cluster, of Lalibela rock hewn churches. But first we have lunch at the extraordinary Ben Abeba restaurant high up atop a hill on the outskirts of Lalibela - a wonderful experience - excellent food, veggie friendly and hosted by the Scottish lady who set this up a few years ago with an Ethiopian business partner. It looks like a witch's hat as we approach, with a multi layered decking construction, surrounded by very pretty gardens with lots of different sitting out areas, and amazing views all around.   

The restaurant put on a fabulous buffet spread for our group at lunchtime.

I usually confine my restaurant reviews to Trip Adviser but this one is so special I think it deserves a mention here.

And so on to the churches.

Bet Giyorgis

Bet Giyorgis in its trench

with the priest inside Bet Giyorgis

We start with the totally iconic monolithic Bet Giyorgis - the church seen on all the publicity and tourist brochures for the area. It is for this reason, I guess, that it has escaped being covered by one of the rather hideous protective roof shelters which so obscure the views and photo opportunities of the other churches - but which are necessary to protect these extraordinary buildings from further decay. 

This church has been excavated out of the rock to a depth of 15 metres or so, in the shape of a cross, sitting in its own sunken courtyard with vertical walls. Dramatic from the outside, less so inside, but it has a great atmosphere if you are able to experience it between tour groups.

inside Bet Mercurios

From here we make our way to Bet Gebriel-Rafael, more like a fortress than a church, which we approach over a wooden walkway. Indeed, with Bet Mercurios, which we visit next, this may well have been first a fortified palace, perhaps carved originally as the palace for King Lalibela.

Bet Emanuel

The brave among us stoop to go through a pitch black tunnel from Bet Gebriel-Rafael to Bet Mercurios but there is an alternative route! However I would recommend braving the tunnel to gain the full atmosphere of the visit - the guides are well equipped with torches!Bet Mercurios has some wonderful fifteenth century wall paintings, as well as some iron shackles which indicate its possible early role as a prison. Saint Mercurios was a third century Coptic saint, tortured and beheaded for his Christian faith.

some of those steep and rocky steps

Some very steep steps take us down to the Bet Emanuel, the most elegant church of them all in Lalibela. Its appearance reminds us of the Yemrehane Christos monastery style of layered wood and stone.

Bet Abba Libanos

Finally we make our way to Bet Abba Libanos, built, legend tells us, by King Lalibela's wife in one night, with the assistance of angels. Sadly we are approaching closing time and our visit is rushed. The priest wants to go home and soon we are also making our way back to our hotel, for a prayer meeting and supper at the Lalibela Cultural Centre.

our shoes are well looked after and
ready for us with willing hand as well

pilgrims walk for miles, from all directions, to Na'akuto
La'ab for the feast day service

The next day is a special feast day at Na'akuto La'ab and we will see this at first hand - this will be an extraordinary experience and one certainly not to be missed - we will then go on to explore the mountain top church of Asheton Mariam at 3200 metres - even higher than we have been today - and join in the liturgy there. That also is a moving and spiritual experience for some of us.

The Yemrehane Christos monastery Ethiopia

the church

This is the continuing story of our pilgrimage to Ethiopia in search of the Ark of the Covenant. 
It has been organised by McCabe Pilgrimages who do this kind of thing rather well.

Today we have driven out from Lalibela to take time out from visiting the incredible rock hewn churches there, to visit instead the free standing church of the monastery of Yemrehane Christos.

shopping for Lalibela crosses

There are 195 steps up to the Yemrehane Christos monastery - set high up in the most incredible isolation. Some of the steps are very steep - many are shallow - and the walk up is really not too bad if you are reasonably fit and take it steadily. And it takes us through very beautiful Juniper forest - alive with a great variety of birds. 

It was a little too hot for some (take plenty of water) and at this high altitude - 2700 metres - some with breathing problems could not make it and have to take time out under the shade of a large tree near the bottom of the trek.

always beautiful scenery

But the charming little village settlement just below is a friendly place to linger, with plenty of shopping opportunities for souvenirs and places where the traditional coffee ceremony can be enjoyed. And the scenery as ever is stunning.

cheerful shop keeper - beautiful woven scarves

Once we are inside the rather ugly modern outer wall at the cave entrance, we are astonished by the Axumite style church building, of alternate layers of wood and granite, with white gypsum, giving the appearance as described by Bradt of "a gigantic layered chocolate cream cake." This is more than a century older than the Lalibela rock hewn churches. 

It has some fine architectural features and was an important place for pilgrimage in medieval times - they came from as far afield as Syria, Egypt and Jerusalem for the curative water and to die here and there is an enormous pile of bones at the back of the cave - said to represent more than 10,000 of these Christian pilgrims.
I receive a blessing from the priest in the church - a rather special experience...

See also the World Monuments Fund write up for this site. 

note cave setting of monastery buildings

priest at Yemrehane

There are so many medieval monasteries and churches that can be visited around this area East of Lalibela including a trio of rock hewn churches around Bilbilla, well worth a visit and at least for the time being, said to be much quieter than the much better known Lalibela churches. The road improvement schemes we saw all around us on our travels are likely to change all this I guess.

Eighth wonder of the world - Lalibela Rock Hewn churches

 Eighth wonder of the world - UNESCO world heritage site since 1978 - created as the New Jerusalem by King Lalibela more than 800 years ago 

House of the Saviour of the World
Bet Medhane Alem
Reputedly the world's largest rock hewn church

pilgrims coming away from Bet Medhane Adem

impressive outside of Bet Medhane Alem

inside Bet Medhane Alem

Church of St Mary windows symbolizing the three crosses
at Golgotha 

Inside Church of St Mary

Church of St Mary veiled pillar inscribed
with Ten Commandments and description of how
churches built - access denied!

Ethiopian embroidering his white robe

the eleven rock hewn churches of Lalibela are thought by many to be the most impressive historical sites anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

Imagine a solid volcanic mountain, and then imagine boring down into that rock to carve out a free standing subterranean block, 

then imagine this block being further bored out from the inside to create a church, with pillars, arches, carvings - so that it is left standing with its roof at ground level, surrounded on all sides by a deep trench. Furthermore, this church is connected to the other churches cut into the same rock by a series of further trenches and underground tunnels. 

These are the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.

priest with processional cross 

This is a Holy site, spread over about 15 hectares to the south of the small town of Lalibela, the churches split into three groups. From their original construction, the churches in this group (some have arguably been royal palaces or prisons) have been at the centre of Lalibela's spiritual Christian life, where something like 10% of the population are priests.

And now the tourists have arrived, conspiring, along with the weather, to destroy these wonderful sites. 

navigating the ledges between House of the
Cross and Mikael-Golgotha

 

Tourists must be a mixed blessing 

they do after all bring cash into the region. But the weather is a different matter, and in an attempt to protect the churches from further erosion, most are covered by fairly hideous canopies, practical indeed, but doing nothing for the appearance of the places they seek to protect.

Cruciform pillars in Bet Mikael
note "angel eye" carvings either side of
the cross

Prepare for some tough walking between the churches, with some steep and rough steps and one dark tunnel (there is an alternative route if you must) - so wear good strong shoes with adequate grip, and prepare to leave these at the door to each church as you enter. When you come out of a different exit, there you will find your shoes again, beautifully lined up by the "shoe keepers", and ready to put on until the next church.   

Tomb of Adam at exit of Mikael/Golgotha
courtyard

the distinctive traditional two storey circular
stone houses of the area around the
churches

There is a very biblical atmosphere to the place. King Lalibela is also now regarded as one of Ethiopia's most important saints. The day we visited was his feast day and we were rewarded by the sight of many priests and others making their pilgrimage to the churches for a blessing. Many people will walk miles, sometimes for days, sometimes across the mountains, and barefoot, to come to churches for important feast days. We experience this for ourselves in an amazing way in a couple of days time...

To all my readers have a very joyous and peaceful Christmas and read more about this incredible trip as my story continues over the next few weeks into the New Year...