Rock-Hewn Sandstone Churches and Man-Made Caves in and Around Dogu’a Tembien

Abstract

Ethiopia is renowned for its ancient rock-hewn churches, which are part of its long Christian heritage. The most famous of these rock churches are probably those in the central Ethiopian town of Lalibela, which are carved into consolidated volcanic ashes (tuffs). However, the highest concentration of rock-hewn churches occurs further to the north, in the central and eastern parts of the Tigray region, where more than 120 such churches have been identified (Fig. 8.1). The sandstone plateaus and hills in this region (amba in Amharic, imba in Tigrinya) are dotted with rock-hewn churches, with individual ambas often containing not just one rock church but several. Most of these churches remained hidden in the mountainous landscape until the 1960s when they became known to the world through the enthusiastic activities of an Ethiopian Catholic scholar, Abba Tewoldemedhin Yosef, and subsequent archaeological investigations. Many of the churches are located in sandstone cliffs, with spectacular views over the adjacent landscape. Access is often physically challenging and the vertical walls, complex faces, and summits of the sandstone escarpments and pillars where the churches are located have recently become popular destinations for rock climbers.