Abuna Yemata Guh Church

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.