Debre Sina Monastery

Debre Sina stands against a cliff north of Keren, an Orthodox monastery built partly into the rock with cells, a church and a store of manuscripts and crosses held by the community. Monks have lived here for centuries and the tradition is that the foundation is very old. Access is up a path from the road and, as at most Eritrean monasteries, the rules on who may enter are strictly applied.

History

Debre Sina is counted among the oldest monasteries in Africa. Tradition holds that the first Holy Communion of the Eritrean Orthodox Church was celebrated here by the bishop Aba Salama, and that a church was built in 383. The monastery itself is said to have been founded in the 5th century by Abune Yohani, who came from Egypt with a group of monks in the reign of King Saladoba of Aksum and first named it Debre Sehat after Scetis, the desert of the early monks of Egypt; a bishop named Nahom consecrated the altar in the cave that formed the first monastery, an event still marked by a liturgy each year. Later, in the reign of King Al-Ameda, the Nine Saints from the Byzantine Empire came here from Mount Agaro and, seeing a pillar of light like the one Moses saw on Sinai, renamed it Debre Sina, "Mount Sinai", the name it still bears (Wikipedia, Debre Sina (monastery)).

What's there

• The cliff setting - buildings pressed against and cut into the rock.
• The church - the monastery's place of worship.
• The manuscripts and crosses - the treasures the community holds.
• The monastic life - a working community rather than a monument.

When to go

Year round; the highland climate is mild. Feast days bring larger gatherings. The walk up is hot in the middle of the day.

Things to know

Many Eritrean and Ethiopian monasteries do not admit women, and rules here should be checked before travelling. A travel permit is required for movement outside Asmara. Photography is generally not permitted.

Nearby

Keren is west, and Mariam Dearit is on its edge.

Key facts