Kulubi Gabriel Church

Kulubi Gabriel stands on a hill beside the road between Dire Dawa and the highlands, and its significance is the pilgrimage: on 28 December, the feast of Saint Gabriel, several hundred thousand people converge here, many walking for days, to fulfil vows made to the saint. Pilgrims carry offerings, bring children to be baptised, and some make the last stretch on foot or on their knees; livestock, gold, grain and money are given, and the church is one of the wealthiest in the country as a result. A second, smaller pilgrimage falls in July. The church itself was built in the early twentieth century by Ras Mekonnen in thanks for a military success and rebuilt later. Outside the feast days it is quiet and unremarkable.

What you actually see

• The December pilgrimage - hundreds of thousands converging on the hill.
• Vows and offerings - livestock, gold and grain given at the church.
• Mass baptisms - children brought to be baptised at the feast.
• The hilltop church - the twentieth-century building above the road.

When to go

28 December is the great pilgrimage and the only time the site is extraordinary; a smaller one falls in late July. Outside those days the church takes half an hour and there is little to see.

Honest expectations

During the pilgrimage the road is jammed for many kilometres, accommodation is impossible and conditions are extremely crowded; pilgrims sleep in the open. Photography of worshippers needs care. Outside the feast the site is ordinary. This is a religious event, not a spectacle laid on for visitors.

Nearby

Dire Dawa lies east; Harar is beyond it.