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All Ethiopia East Tigray Abuna Yemata Guh

Abuna Yemata Guh

Reaching the "Church in the Sky" requires scaling the cliff face of a sandstone pinnacle with a 650-foot drop.

East Tigray, Ethiopia

Added By
Lew Blank
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Priest sitting outside the entrance to Abuna Yemata church.   Cultura RM Exclusive / Philip Lee Harvey / Getty Images
Priest sitting outside the entrance to Abuna Yemata church.   Cultura RM Exclusive / Philip Lee Harvey / Getty Images
Priest on cliff entrance of Abuna Yemata Guh rock-hewn church.   Hemis / Alamy
Monk standing on the ledge outside the rock-hewn church.   Charliefleurene
Fresco atop the church’s ceiling   Atlas and Boots
Priest reading holy book inside the church.   Changyate
Another rock-hewn church in the Gheralta Mountains.   Rod Waddington
Several rock-hewn churches are hidden in the Gheralta Mountains.   Rod Waddington
Cliff face that must be scaled to reach the church.   Atlas and Boots
Opening the church doors thousands of feet high.   Changyate
Beautiful valley outlook from the church.   Changyate
Priest inside the church.   Atlas and Boots
Skeletal remains of former pilgrims atop the cliff.   Changyate
Ceiling fresco in the church.   Owen Barder
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About

If you think going to a normal church can be an enlightening experience, imagine going to worship in a rock-hewn painted cave atop a towering sandstone pinnacle, only reachable via a daredevil climb with 650-foot drops on all sides.

At Abuna Yemata Guh in northern Ethiopia, this risky and thrilling experience is common practice for a few dedicated priests. The monolithic place of worship is said to be the world’s most inaccessible and dangerous church, reachable only by a 45-minute ascent.

The journey has cliff faces to scale, rickety bridges to cross, and narrow ledges to traverse. After crossing through the valley that underlies the church, you must ascend the half-mile-high sandstone pinnacle, searching for rare footholds to avoid the long drop. Adding to the general sense of dread, the route passes by an open-air tomb filled with the skeletal remains of deceased priests (although it’s said that none of the priests died from falling off the cliff).

If the intense climb and the gorgeous view of the valley below aren’t enough to take your breath away, the interior of the church surely will. The cave’s ceiling is covered by two beautiful frescoes, featuring intricate patterns, religious imagery, and the faces of nine of the twelve apostles of Christ. The church also contains an Orthodox Bible with vibrant, colorful sheets made of goatskin. Abuna Yemata Church is so sacred that some Ethiopian parents even risk bringing their babies all the way to the top of the cliff to have them baptized there.

The church is named after Father Yemata, a priest who carved the church out of the cliff face in the 5th century. Some say he chose the high location to escape enemies, while others believe it was an attempt to find true divinity. Either way, his rock-hewn masterpiece has provided a unique opportunity for Ethiopian Christians to demonstrate their commitment to their faith in epic fashion.

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Churches Cliffs Rock Formations Paintings Christianity History Skeletons Sacred Spaces

Community Contributors

Added By

lewblank

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

March 1, 2018

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Sources
  • https://www.lonelyplanet.com/ethiopia/rock-hewn-churches-of-tigray/attractions/abuna-yemata-guh/a/poi-sig/1385693/1330705
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2823326/Abuna-Yemata-Guh-church-sky-Ethiopia-world-s-inaccessible-place-worship.html
  • https://changyate.wordpress.com/2015/03/22/worlds-most-dangerous-church-abuna-yemata-guh-tigray-ethiopia/
  • https://leaveyourdailyhell.com/2016/11/03/ethiopia-tigray-churches/
  • https://wearetravelgirls.com/rock-churches-tigray-ethiopia/
  • http://www.slate.com/articles/life/welltraveled/features/2010/in_the_land_of_sheba_a_pilgrimage_to_ethiopia/an_offering.html
Abuna Yemata Guh
Abuna Yemata Guh
East Tigray
Ethiopia
13.91526, 39.343071
Get Directions

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