Sometimes the line between
past and present blurs, yesterday feels like today and it is possible to
believe that you are living in the pages of the Old Testament. This was my experience, high on a mountain in
northern Ethiopia.
It’s over 2,000 years since the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
was founded, but many of its traditions have remained unchanged. There are more than 12,000 churches of
differing shapes and sizes throughout Ethiopia.
But our small group of travelers was headed for two remote churches near
the town of Hawzen in Tigrai. Our bus dropped us off at the bottom of a mountain.
This wasn’t gentle undulating countryside. There were huge cliffs, ridges and
tors bursting up out of the ground. We
started to climb, clambering over rocks and scrambling up a narrow gully. It didn’t seem that difficult so our
confidence grew.
We had lots of helpers:
the hired guides plus a crew of children who appeared from nowhere. Some were
meant to be tending goats and donkeys, but they refused to return to such
ordinary tasks whilst there were the foreigners to check out!
We reached the top of the gully to be greeted by another
fantastic view - and a sheer rock face! We stared at the cliff in dismay. There didn’t
seem to be any hand or foot holds.
However, there was lots of advice from both
official and unofficial guides! I can’t remember the detail of that climb, but
I can clearly recall the sense of exhilaration as I high-fived my guide at the
top!
We had a well-earnt rest in the shade of a small cave
blackened with smoke, a shelter for shepherds and travelers. Here, some of the
group reluctantly decided that they had had enough. That left four determined
to continue.
The rest of the track was a steady climb, some parts were
difficult because of loose stones and gravel, at other times the path was so
narrow that you had to watch every step. Then around a bend and finally ahead,
there was our goal! The first church, clinging to the rock face: Mariam Kokore.
Built in approximately 600AD, Mariam is one of the largest and most complex rock
cave churches in Ethiopia.
Daniel Kokore, the second church, was a further careful
walk along a narrow ledge. This was an even older church. We squeezed through a
narrow doorway to see more ancient murals. The tiny church could barely hold
the four of us. As remote and isolated as these churches are, they have been in
continuous use since the day they were built, if built is the right word. They
chose the location over 1,500 years ago to ensure isolation, so I was concerned
that we were unwelcome intrusions. These priests wanted to focus on their faith
without distraction. Surely tourists would be unwelcome. Luckily the priest wasn’t at home, being away
on church business.
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