The Tigray Region (or simply Tigray) is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. Tigray is the fifth-largest state by area, the fourth-most populous, and the fifth-most densely populated. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle.
Ethiopia consists of 11 regional states: Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Benishangul-Gumuz, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Gambela, Harari, Sidama, and Southwest Ethiopia.
Population
The Tigray region had an estimated pre-war population of 7.07 million souls. In this instance, “pre-war” refers to the Tigray War (November 2020 – November 2022). This was a two-year conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia and is believed to have claimed the lives of more than 162,000 people. The highlands have the highest population density, especially in eastern and central Tigray.
Current Conditions
As a result of the ongoing conflict, poverty here has significantly increased with devastating consequences, including food insecurity and malnutrition. Many of the population face severe food shortages and famine-like conditions as the war has severely disrupted agriculture, leading to reduced crop yields and soaring food prices.
Historically, Tigray’s agricultural system is based on ox-plough cultivation of cereal crops. Eighty percent of the population engages in subsistence farming for self-consumption.
Religion
Tigray is often regarded as the “cradle of Ethiopian civilization” due to its rich history and role in the nation’s religious landscape. Three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, arrived in Ethiopia via the Red Sea and Tigray.
The region has the highest percentage of Orthodox Christians in the world, as 99% of the population follows Christ. Although the percentage of Muslims in Tigray is less than 5%, it has historically served as Islam’s doorway to the region and to Africa at large.
Bordered by Eritrea to the north, the official language, Tigrinya, is similar to that spoken in southern Eritrea.
Day 5: November 15th – Churches of Tigray (Part I)
The Tigray region is renowned for its rock-hewn churches, many of which are located in the Gheralta Mountains. These churches, carved directly into the cliffsides, are a significant part of Ethiopia’s religious and cultural heritage. The region boasts over 121 rock-hewn churches, the largest rock-hewn architecture in the world. Eighty of the churches date back to the 5th to 14th centuries AD.
Architectural Wonders
Rock-hewn churches are incredible feats of engineering. They get more and more spectacular when you consider when and how they were built. Stonemasons cut downward into the rock to separate a monolithic block, then crafted the structure from the outside. Once the outer surfaces had taken shape, simple tools like hammers and chisels were used to excavate trenches, create doors, windows, floors, and walls. The churches were connected via a system of tunnels and passageways.
The Design
The churches are generally constructed in a cruciform shape, with three rooms: an exterior “chanting room,” an interior “holy” room or sanctuary, and a deeply recessed “holy of holies”.
Congregants often participate in rituals, which involve chanting, singing, and dancing in the exterior chanting room. The debetra (priests or religious officials) usually lead these activities. In the interior sanctuary, the central focus is the altar, typically located at the east end of the structure. This is where the holy service of the Eucharist, or Tabot, is performed.
In the Ethiopian Orthodox church, the altar placement is symbolic. In Christianity, the East is associated with light. Christ is referred to as the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) and the “light of the world” (John 8:12). God planted the Garden of Eden in the East, and the Second Coming of Christ is also prophesied to appear from the East (Matthew 24:27).
The holy of holies is reserved for priests as it contains a replica of the biblical Ark of the Covenant. Ethiopian tradition states that the original Ark of the Covenant rests in a church in Axum in northern Ethiopia.
Church of Abreha wa-Atsbeha
Abreha wa-Atsbeha was built in East Tigray in the 4th century by Abreha and Atsbeha. Abreha and Atsbeha were Aksumite brothers who, according to tradition, ruled the Aksumite kingdom in the 4th century. It is believed the brothers were converted to Christianity by the missionary Frumentius. The duo is said to have founded 44 churches. To read more about Frumentius and his impact on Christianity in Ethiopia, read my write-up: The History of Ethiopia – Part I.
The legend of Abreha and Atsbeha bears quite a similarity to that of Aksumite King Ezana and his brother Saizana. Historians have posited it may be a fictional account of the introduction of Christianity to Axum.
The Building
Carved entirely out of a protruding sedimentary rock, the church features a massive cruciform interior, an elaborately carved roof, and decorated arches. It is rumored that the bodies of Abreha and Atsbeha are entombed inside. Many of the interiors and murals of the churches in Tigray show signs of fire damage. This is from several anti-Christian campaigns that were launched over the centuries in the region. Amazingly, in the churches we visited, the original carvings, designs, and artwork remained largely intact, as great care was taken to preserve the structures.
Wukro Chirkos
Wukro Chirkos is an ancient rock-hewn Orthodox church dating back to the 4th century. It is a semi-monolithic structure whose side walls, front wall, and roof are completely separated and extend from the main rock upon which it was constructed.
Hidden in Plain View
When members of the 1868 British Expedition to Abyssinia visited Wukro, they reported the church’s existence. However, it was not until the 20th century that the Western world learned that Chirkos is one of many rock-hewn architectural works in the region.
Abyssinia is the historical name, used primarily by foreigners, for the region that is now known as Ethiopia. The term is derived from the Arabic word “Habash,” meaning “mixed,” referring to the diverse populations in the area.
Traditionally, the construction of Wukro Chirkos was attributed to the reign of Abreha and Atsbeha, who also built Abreha wa-Atsbeha. However, some scholars believe this church was carved a few centuries later. British archaeologist David Phillipson, a specialist in African architecture, dated cross-in-square churches to between AD 700 and 1000.
Dedication to child martyr Saint Cyricus
Wukro Chirkos is dedicated to child martyr Cyricus (Qirqos) of Tarsus of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. According to tradition, three-year-old Saint Cyricus and his mother Julitta (Ileyuta) were executed in 304 AD during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. His pogrom against Christians was carried out by his minion, Governor Alexander.
The building has remained largely unchanged except for an external roof and raised porch added in the mid-20th century due to seepage. The interior of the church was burned in the 16th century by a Muslim invader from Somalia, Ahmed Gragn.
I was struck by the church’s simple façade, immaculate grounds, and serene ambiance. The remains of several Italians who died during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War are interred in the courtyard. You can learn more about Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia by reading my synopsis: The History of Ethiopia – Part III. This church was perfect for visitors seeking spiritual solace and eager to learn more about the history of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Orthodox church.
Frescoes
The interior was covered in frescoes depicting biblical scenes and revered saints. The walls and ceilings showed signs of fire damage. Local tradition attributes the sooty reminder to a 16th-century sack by Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, Imam of the Adal Sultanate. Read my historical synopsis: The History of Ethiopia – Part I to learn more about Ibrahim al-Ghazi’s impact on Ethiopia.
Abune Yemata Guh
Abuna Yemata Guh is a monolithic church in the Hawzien Woreda area of the Tigray Region. As a testament of faith and craftsmanship, the church was carved out of one of the highest sandstone spires in the Gheralta Mountains during the sixth century. According to local legend, the house of worship was dedicated to Abuna Yemata (Abba Yem’ata), one of the Nine Saints.
The Nine Saints
The Nine Saints were a group of missionaries who came to Ethiopia from the Roman Empire. Traditionally believed to have originated from Rome, Constantinople, and Syria during the 5th and 6th centuries, the Saints sought refuge following the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD.
A controversy between two theological doctrines arose during the 5th century. The debate centered on differing interpretations of Christ’s divine and human natures. The Council backed the orthodox position, asserting that Christ was perfect in both deity and humanity. The monophysite community from which the Nine Saints hailed believed Christ had two separate and distinct natures, divine and human. The Council declared monophysitism a heresy, paving the way to persecution by some authorities in the Byzantine Empire.
The Saints played a crucial role in the early development of Christianity in Ethiopia, establishing monasteries and churches throughout the region.
The Church in the Sky
Perched 8,460 feet above the ground (2.580 meters), the church is only accessible on foot. To access this remarkable house of worship, visitors must complete a steep and hazardous ascent barefoot using only the hand and footholds carved into the rockface.
On the final leg of this arduous climb, visitors must walk along a stone ledge. Sounds easy, huh? Sure, until you realize there are no handrails or protections from a sheer drop of 820 feet (250 meters) on one side. While the view, even from the ground, is beautiful, I am told it is even more amazing looking out from the church. Although Abuna Yemata Guh is the world’s most inaccessible house of worship, priests have no recorded deaths from the climb.
Abune Yemata Guh is also called “The Church in the Sky”. It brings to mind the old church hymn “nearer my God to thee”, literally.
The Interior
Once inside, the intrepid climber is treated to amazingly well-preserved paintings covering the walls. While no precise completion date for the murals can be determined, they have been dated to the second half of the fifteenth century based on their theme, style, and iconography. I trekked up to the base of the mountain, but upon assessing the steepness of the initial ascent, contemplating the pending descent, and the fact that folks were expecting me to return with photos and stories from the remaining 22 days I had left in Ethiopia, I decided to stay on the ground. “Death by mountain” was not on the itinerary.
Day 6: November 16th – Churches of Tigray (Part II)
Maryam Papaseit
At the end of Mekelle-Wukro Road, in a bucolic valley south of Hawzien, sits Maryam Papaseit. The trek to the church was a mostly flat, moderate one. We walked approximately an hour each way (9.5 miles or 15 kilometers) to reach the church. During the journey, we were immersed in the beauty of the Ethiopian landscape. We had sandstone ridges and spires on one side and the vegetable gardens of the locals on the other. We passed giggling children who stared at the “visitors” and herds of goats who couldn’t have cared less we were there.
At the 45-minute mark in our trek, we veered off road and began our ascent to the church. The slope was gentle and easy to navigate thanks to steps fashioned out of red clay and stones.
The Interior
The church was a quaint, semi-monolithic structure, with the main sanctuary hewn from the rock. The interior walls were decorated with 17th-century paintings depicting Old and New Testament scenes. Mary, St. George, and the “24 elders of the apocalypse” occupied prominent positions in the frescos.
Temporary Structures
After visiting the church, we had another 55-minute trek back to the vehicle. This provided opportunities to delve more into the culture and see how the people lived. We passed a stretch of stone structures in the middle of nowhere that I found very curious. They were single-story dwellings with forward-facing windows and doors impeccably crafted from stones. My guide explained that they were built by people who relocated due to the war that affected Tigray from 2020 to 2022.
A stretch of road lined with houses like the ones above ended with a nice surprise. We stumbled upon an actual stonemason at work in the unforgiving sun and heat, sans shade. His handiwork can be viewed at the rear of this photo, in the surrounding wall and structures he built.
Abune Gerima
Abune Gerima Monastery is an Ethiopian Orthodox church located three miles east of Adwa. Established in the sixth century by one of the Nine Saints, Abba Garima (also called Isaac), the actual structure was built by King Gabra Masqal (Gebre Meskel).
Abune Gerima monastery is accessible only by men. Women may visit the area but are not permitted to climb the stairs to the main monastery.
The Garima Gospels
The monastery serves as home to the world’s earliest illustrated ancient manuscripts known as the ‘Garima Gospels’, which were written by and named after the saint himself. According to legend, Garima wrote the gospels on thick goat’s vellum in the Ge’ez language and illustrated the opening pages of both volumes.
Biblical scholars previously proposed that the gospels, though inspired by Abba Garima’s example, must have been written centuries after his death. They estimated they were drafted in the tenth century or later. However, carbon dating completed at Oxford University confirmed a date between 390 and 570 AD for the second volume. “Garima II” is likely the earlier of the two gospel books, possibly predating the supposed author. The manuscripts are currently housed in a chapel formerly used by female pilgrims.
The complex
The monastery consists of three churches, fifteen square and circular cells where the monks reside, and a notable treasury. The treasury contains an extensive collection of crowns, helmets, crosses, chalices, and manuscripts belonging to various Ethiopian emperors and religious figures.
Up Next: Axum (Aksum)
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