Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ADDIS ABABA TO BAHIR DAR
In a private vehicle you can whip from Addis to Bahir Dar in as little as eight hours.
Though there are no must-sees, some historical and natural sights allow you to break up the
journey.
LEGLESS IN LIBANOS
Tekla Haimanot, descendant of Zadok, the priest who anointed King Solomon, is one of the most revered saints in
Ethiopia thanks both to his part in restoring the Solomonic dynasty to Ethiopia and for his miracle-working
prowess. He started working his magic even before he was born, when his mother was molested by a pagan king,
Tekla Haimanot called forth the Archangel Mikhael (hidden inside a thunderstorm) who promptly turned the king
mad. While still in his teens he could perform that old biblical favourite of turning water into wine and by the time
of his death, he'd performed every miracle in both the Old and New Testaments. But it's for his devotion to prayer
that he's best remembered. For 22 years he stood stock still and prayed until eventually his right leg turned rotten
and fell off. Unperturbed he carried on for a further seven years, balancing on his remaining leg. Today what people
believe is his right leg is kept inside the Debre Libanos monastery. Three times a year it's brought out and pilgrims
kiss the box it's kept in to cast out evil spirits.
Debre Libanos
Lying 100km north of Addis Ababa is one of Ethiopia's holiest sites.
Debre Libanos mon-
astery
(admission Birr100)
was founded in the 13th century by Tekla Haimanot, a priest
credited not only with the spread of Christianity in the highlands, but also the restoration of
the Solomonic line of kings. Today he's one of Ethiopia's most revered saints. Since his
time, Debre Libanos has served as the principal monastery of the old Shoa region, and re-
mains one of Ethiopia's largest and most important. Many Ethiopians make pilgrimages
and some seek out its curative holy waters, said to be good for warding off evil spirits and
for stomach disorders.
Although no trace of the ancient monastery remains (a casualty of the Muslim-Christian
Wars), the site is impressively set beneath a waterfall-rich cliff (many of the monks live in
caves up there) on the edge of the large Jemma River Gorge and is a peaceful place to
wander.
