This primal icon was believed to sweat miracle-working oil, and according to the illustrated Miracles of Mary kept in Lalibela, 12 Ethiopian priests went expressly to view the painting. Getatchew Haile, an expert on Ethiopian religious literature, explains that one of the earliest icons painted by native artisans in Ethiopia was likely a copy of an eighth-century image of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, which was kept at a convent in distant Syria. Once on top, you will be amazed by remarkable wood carvings, painted ceilings, bronze processional crosses and illuminated manuscripts that link you right back to one of the most beloved leaders of the early Orthodox Church, Abune Aregawi - a determined pilgrim who somehow traveled by sailboat and foot all the way from Damascus to this remote mountaintop more than 1,500 years ago. Today, monks do all the lifting, but the rope they use requires nearly as much faith as trusting the python, being hand-pleated from worn leather. The founder of the latter site was a sixth-century Syrian monk who could not have climbed the cliffs if not for a fabled python who hoisted him, becoming a sinuous feature in subsequent icons. A visit there requires being lifted straight up a cliff. Alternatively, from the mountain town of Lalibela, you can reach the oldest monastery by riding a mule two hours up a steep, rocky slope.Īnd then there is the famous Debre Damo monastery, occupying a fortress-like plateau east of Axum. To get to the highly acclaimed monasteries at Lake Tana, you’ll have to drive 11 hours north from Addis Ababa, and then hire a boat. If you have the opportunity, however, why not go right to the source, visiting one of the ancient monasteries scattered across the country? You are almost sure to be rewarded by an encounter with a true “original”: a wide-eyed, robed character painted in the 13th or 14th century who still glimmers back at you in distinctive red and yellow, staring as if to say, “I have been here all along. To learn about the history of Ethiopian icon-making is to learn about the history of the entire nation - and an easy starting place is the Ethnographic Museum of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies on the grounds of Addis Ababa University. In fact, devout Orthodox families sometimes set apart a whole room where members can retreat to light candles and pray before selected paintings on saints’ days. Or visit the home of an Orthodox family, where you are likely to spot at least one of the modern-day images on the walls. Stroll the souvenir shops on Churchill Avenue in Addis Ababa, right across from the Main Post Office, and you will find dozens of newly painted icons ready for sale. Such elements are, in fact, borrowed from religious images deep in Ethiopia’s medieval past, although they continue to appear in paintings created by modern artists who stick to the traditional style, working on wooden panels and parchment like their predecessors. Short figures in patterned robes, wide almond-shaped eyes, and a palette of bright yellows, reds and greens - these are just a few of the visual features that have become identified with Ethiopian culture, appearing on everything from book covers to restaurant menus. Ethiopia’s incredible heritage of visual art has earned the nation international recognition.
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