ENGL 101
Dawit Gebremariam
Spring 2015
Date: Feb.27 2015
Sadkane Mariam Monastery
People have different interests in where to spend their spare time. Some people love to
visit places like beaches or big cities while others are interested in nature. However, if someone
wants to visit a place that is very quiet and peaceful, monasteries are good choices. Most of the
times I love to spend my times by visiting the monasteries in Ethiopia. Since all of the
monasteries are found in very rural areas of the country, one can see the beauty of nature on
them. Sadkane Mariam monastery, which is found in the Western Ethiopia, is one of my favorite
places that I often visit. Although, some parts of this monastery are getting old and need to repair
in order to keep its sustainability, it is still a place of excitement and healing.
The extraordinary beauty of the nature surroundings and the tranquility of the place make
Sadkane Mariam monastery an interesting place. When seen from afar it looks like just a
mountain covered by plenty of trees, while after climbing the mountain for about 15 minutes one
can see the amazing and attractive monastery. The first thing that can be felt after climbing the
mountain is the fresh and cold air that blows over the mountain. From this position, my eyes
move in all directions to see the breathtaking land scape as far as where it seems like the earth
and the sky meet. Walking through the big and quiet trees an old house with circular shape is
found. On the left of this house is a big amazing cave made by carving the mountain. Since the
cave is lit by the wax candles, the first thing that one experiences when entering to this cave is
the smell of the burning wax. The cave has different partitions, and all these partitions are used
as a prayer room. In spite of being filled by many people, these rooms are always as quiet as a
closed library. When I pray in this place I feel like I am talking to God personally.
Besides the above characteristics of the monastery, Sadkane Mariam is also a place of
healing. Walking 20 meters down from the monastery, there is holy water. Since it is believed by
Orthodox Christians that it is the power of God and the holy spirit of God that makes this water
so powerful, this site is visited by many pilgrims, all in search of a cure to their illness by way of
holy water consumption and bathing. Many have been cured from their illness by using this holy
water. Once when I was there a young lady was giving her testimony about being cured from
breast cancer. Many other patients including those who used to live with HIV have been cured
by this Holy Spirit water.
In general, the caves that are built from the mountain and the tranquility of the place
make this monastery an interesting and beautiful place. Moreover, the holy water found in this
monastery is also healing many pilgrims from different kinds of disease. However, close follow
up and protection is needed in order to make this place sustainable. Therefore, everyone who is
interested in the sustainability of this old monastery must contribute his or her part.