Debre Damo is the name of a flat-topped mountain, or amba, and a 6th century monastery in northern Ethiopia. The mountain is a steeply rising plateau of trapezoidal shape.
Debre Damo was built, in the sixth century AD, with curved wood
panels, painted ceilings and walls dedicated to the legend of Saint
(Abune) Aregawi. The history of Debre Damo is centred on the "Nine
Saints" who came to Ethiopia from Syria to spread Christianity in the
Tigray region. One of them was Saint Aregawi who settled on the mountain
of
Debre Damo. The other eight saints settled around Tigray countryside and all have their own church named after them.
Debre
Damo is magnificent in terms of its location and extensive collection
of priceless manuscripts that have remained intact until today. It has
become a prominent monastic and educational centre for the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Many books have been written there and
distributed to churches throughout Ethiopia.
Debre Damo is only accessible by climbing up by a rope, which is made
of "plaited leather", lowered from the cliffs, which visitors tie
around their waist and are then pulled up by a monk at the top of the
cliffs. It is only accessible to men and male animals. Women and even
female animals are forbidden to set a foot into the monastery, and must
remain under the cliffs and pray from there.
