- Foundation date: 6th century
The ancient Dabra Damo Monastery in Ethiopia is a corner of silence and seclusion, high up in the mountains, far from human eyes. Due to its unusual location, Debray Damo is still a mysterious and little-known place, which many tourists coming to Ethiopia have never even heard of. Nevertheless, the rich history and treasures of the monastery deserve our undoubted attention.
Location:
The ancient Dabra Damo Monastery in Ethiopia is a corner of silence and seclusion, high up in the mountains, far from human eyes. Due to its unusual location, Debray Damo is still a mysterious and little-known place, which many tourists coming to Ethiopia have never even heard of. Nevertheless, the rich history and treasures of the monastery deserve our undoubted attention.
Location:
The Dabra Damo Monastery is at the top of a cliff (2216 m above sea level) in a deserted place in the north of Ethiopia, in the Tigray region, slightly west of Adigrat.
The history of the monastery
The monastery was founded by a monk from Syria, Abuna Aregavi. It happened in the 6th century, at the time of the Axumite Kingdom. According to legend, 9 Syrian saints came to these lands with the purpose of spreading Christianity. Saint Aregavi decided to settle on the mountain, but as he climbed it, a giant snake appeared in front of him. To help the monk came the Archangel Gabriel, who killed the serpent with a sword and helped the saint to reach the top of the rock. In gratitude the monk carved and installed there a cross, which everyone worships, coming to the holy abode. The remaining 8 monks who came to Ethiopia with Aregavi built their own temples in neighboring regions.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the main temple of Debray Damo, which is one of the oldest in Ethiopia, was almost completely destroyed. The restoration took place under the guidance of the English architect D. Matthews. A feature of the construction are the walls of the temple, in which layers of stone and wood alternate.
What is interesting about the Dabra Damo Monastery?
First of all, it should be noted that because of the location of the monastery at a level of more than 2 thousand meters, it is not so easy to get there. The monastery complex of Dabra Damo includes the main temple, a chapel, a bell tower, many monastic houses. In total, the buildings occupy about 400 thousand square meters. m.
The main temple is built of stone and wood, richly decorated with frescoes, wood carvings and Syrian textiles with images of peacocks, lions, monkeys and other animals. The pictures depict the scene of the killing of the snake by the Archangel Gabriel. Inside, the Dabra Damo has its own pond, which is a stone-carved pool in a cave deep underground. The rock on which the monastery is located is permeated with numerous tunnels and hollows.
Since its founding, Debray-Damo has been serving as the educational center of the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia and it holds a collection of very valuable ancient manuscripts.
We draw your attention to the fact that only men can visit the monastery. Entrance to Dabra Damo is forbidden for women. They can pray at the foot of the rock in the nunnery of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Life in a monastery
In the monastery today there are about 200 monks who themselves are engaged in growing crops and breeding goats and sheep. Therefore, in general, the community is self-sufficient, local residents only occasionally give the monks food and necessary materials.
The most important holiday in Debre-Damo is October 14 (Ethiopian calendar) or October 24 (Gregorian). On this day the memory of St. Aregavi is celebrated, and pilgrims from all over Ethiopia flock to the monastery.
How to get there?
To get to the Temple of Dabra Damo, you must first 4 hours to get from Axum , then 2 hours to walk along the mountain road and finally climb into the monastery itself, using leather ropes hanging down a 15 m high cliff.