Adadi Mariam Church

Adadi Mariam is carved down into the rock in the manner of the Lalibela churches, a semi-monolithic building surrounded by a cut trench with a low irregular roof and a plain interior of pillars and small windows. Tradition attributes it to the reign of Lalibela in the twelfth or thirteenth century, when the king is said to have travelled south; the church was abandoned for a long period, reportedly damaged in the sixteenth century, and reopened in the nineteenth. It is the southernmost rock-hewn church in the country and much simpler than those at Lalibela, but it is easy to reach from Addis Ababa and gives a sense of the technique without the journey north. Services are held and a priest shows visitors around.

History

Local tradition holds that King Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty commissioned the church, one of 76 rock-hewn churches his hagiography credits to him, and his journey to southern Shewa is recorded in a book called Tefut kept at the Gishen Debre Kerbe monastery and in a church of Zuquala. Oral tradition links its founding to the saint Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus, who came from Egypt, stayed with Lalibela in Lasta and then founded a monastery near Mount Zuquala: visiting him there, Lalibela is said to have seen a vision of Mary and her child at the spot where the church now stands, and ordered it cut from the rock in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, until another vision called him home to Lasta and he had the tabot of Saint Mary placed in the church and consecrated. Damaged over the centuries by both people and nature, the church has recently been restored with help from Switzerland (Wikipedia, Adadi Mariam).

What to look for

• The cut trench - the excavated channel around the church.
• The rough-hewn interior - pillars and low ceilings cut from the rock.
• The plain exterior - a simpler building than the Lalibela group.
• A working parish - services and worshippers using the church.

When to go

October to March for the roads. The church is open daily with a priest present. Sunday services and saints' days bring worshippers and change the atmosphere. It combines with Tiya and Melka Kunture in one day.

What to expect

This is far simpler and rougher than the Lalibela churches and should not be judged against them. The interior is dark and photography may be restricted or charged. The final stretch of road is rough. Guide fees and donations are expected on top of the ticket.

Nearby

Melka Kunture lies east; Tiya is south.

Key facts