Debre Damo

Debre Damo (Debre Damo) ( Amh . ደብረ ዳሞ ) is an ancient Christian monastery in northern Ethiopia , west of the city of Adigrat ( Tigray region ). Located on a flat top of a cliff (absolute height - 2216 m).

Monastery
Debre Damo
ደብረ ዳሞ
The main temple of the monastery of Debre Damo
A country	Ethiopia
Location
Denomination	Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Founder
Established

The monastery was founded in the era of the Axumite kingdom (VI century) by the Syrian monk Abun Aregavi. By the beginning of the 20th century, the main temple of the monastery (the oldest surviving in Ethiopia) was abandoned, and, according to D. Buxton, in the 1940s was on the verge of complete destruction ^[1] . Soon, under the leadership of the English architect D. Matthews, the main temple was restored. The walls of the temple are built of stone and wood, which alternate in layers. Inside the temple is richly decorated with frescoes. A large collection of ancient manuscripts is also stored there. In addition to the main temple, the monastery has a chapel, a bell tower and a large number of houses where about 200 monks live. Women are not allowed in the monastery.

To get to the monastery, you need to climb a rope along a 15-meter steep rock.

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  Monastery Rope

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  Monastic huts

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  The interior of the main temple

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  Church of Abuna Aregavi