Abuna Yemata Guh has been on the
clifftop on Northern Ethiopia since 5th century AD. A leap of faith!
Ethiopia's 'church in the sky' is perched on a 2,500ft cliff... with a wall of
rock devotees must climb barefoot It is arguably the most inaccessible place of worship on earth,
perched on top of a vertical spire of rock, with sheer, 650 feet drops on all
sides.
Abuna Yemata Guh, the
church carved into the rock at the top of the cliff, is named for a shadowy
fifth-century saint.
Abuna means "priest," and
Yemata is one of nine who is believed to have
fled persecution elsewhere in the Roman Empire. The Ethiopians call these nine
foreigners Syrian, because they were white.
Guh, means "sunrise." Ethiopians
say that from the summit you can see where the world begins.I've made much
easier climbs than this one wearing a harness. If the monk, my driver-cum-guide
Yonas, and I were climbing in the United States, we would be clipped to each
other and to the rock.
To visit requires a six-metre climb up sheer wall of rock with no ropes
and crossing narrow ledges with 200m drops . The
churches are as rewarding to visit as they are (often) difficult to reach.
Abuna Yemata Guh is a particular highlight, although not recommended for those
with a fear of heights. The tourist office in Wukro can help to arrange guides
and transport. Mekele is part of the famous Ethiopia Historical Circuit.