Monday, August 10, 2015

Orthodox Church Ethiopia

An Interesting Sharing:-what was shared with me by an Orthodox brother today: Abuna Yemata Guh Church, Ethiopia


Category: The Ethiopian Church, its deep piety, and its unique ancient iconography and scriptural and liturgical texts.  These are the Christian people that are now suffering much  new and severe abuse and slaughter, [after centuries of the same]  at the hands of Moslems.

Comment: And in this, cliff-side, mountain top ancient church, very physically dangerous to get to, are held regular Sunday services, attended by a flock of worshippers!  They have to have a strong faith, just to go to church, and come home again, alive.


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Abuna Yemata Guh Church, Ethiopia
Visitors have to pass through a farm to reach Abun Yemata Guh Church
The cliffs to reach Abun Yemata Guh Church
Unleash your inner Indiana Jones: Visitors have to pass through a farm (left), and up the cliffs (right) to reach Abun Yemata Guh Church in Yemata Guh, Hawzien, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
A priest holidain a hundred year old Bible in the unique clifftop church
A priest holidain a hundred year old Bible in the unique clifftop church
An Orthodox monk inside Abuna Yemata Guh church, Tigray, Ethiopia, Africa
An Orthodox monk inside Abuna Yemata Guh church, Tigray, Ethiopia, Africa

Precariously carved into a clifftop in Northern Ethiopia in the 5th Century AD, reaching this ‘church in the sky’ is an adventure in itself: it requires a 6m climb up a sheer wall of rock with no ropes, and crossing narrow ledges with 200m drops. 
Yet the church is still in use today, with a regular Sunday service attended by locals and intrepid travellers – and for good reason.

Painted in primary colours, the frescoes that decorate the interior of the church with extraordinary depictions of angels, apostles, and other biblical figures are some of the oldest Christian art in the world, as Ethiopia’s links to Christianity date back to the Old Testament.

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