The Island Monasteries of Lake Tana
Setting off from the fertile banks of the Ethiopian town of Bahardar, I was marveled by
the great expanse of water before me; this is Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia. Lake
Tana, which lies in the northern Amhara region, is the source of the Blue Nile River,
which meets the White Nile River in Khartoum, Sudan, to form the River Nile. It has a
surface area of 3,673 square kilometres. Many people do not visit this lake because of its
vastness or the beauty of the thriving tropical forests that surround it. It is what lies in the
numerous isolated islands on this lake that inspire people to visit this area; this is where
some Africa’s oldest monasteries are found, some dating to as early as the 8th century.
The 37 islands of Lake Tana shelter some twenty monasteries. While some are easily
accessible on the islands, some are found in remote areas, perched on peaks of mountains
or on the edges of cliffs, I was told.
The isolation of these monasteries allows them to be used to store religious relics from all
parts of the country. For example, remains of ancient emperors of Ethiopia, such as
Emperor Fasiladas, are kept in these island monasteries. Numerous church treasures are
also found within the walls of these monasteries, such as the mural paintings and the
beautiful pieces of religious art that depict religious scenes and stories from the bible. As
well, they also hold some religious manuscripts written in Geez, a holy language of
Ethiopia. When Ethiopia was attacked by Islamist warlord, Ahmed Gragn, in the 16th
century, hundreds of churches were destroyed. Some of the treasures in those churches,
such as numerous tabots, which are replicas of the Ark of the Covenant, were hidden in
some of these monasteries. It was interesting to learn that one of these islands kept the
original Ark of the Covenant during the time when Axum was endangered. One of the
monasteries, however, can only be visited by men.
After a forty minute boat ride, I finally set foot on Zege Peninsula, home to 10,000
people, 7 monasteries and 60 monks. Only two of the monasteries, the ones closest to the
lakeshore, are open to tourists while the remaining five are strictly used by the local
people. Economically, all the people on this peninsula depend on farming (coffee and
vegetables) as well as tourists. This peninsula has been inhabited since the 9th century. I
was very welcomed by the local people and was guided through a dense tropical forest to
the compound of the Ura Kidane Meheret monastery, situated 1800 metres above sea
level. I was amazed to learn that this monastery was built in the 14th century, over 600
years old. Originally, the monastery was built from natural materials but very recently,
the monks placed corrugated iron over half of the roof top to stop the rain from damaging
the treasures that lay inside.
After taking off my shoes at the door of the church, the guide, Mr. Tafarah, 25, led me
into the church where we spoke about what lies within its walls. The church is divided
into three sections, representing the trinity; the ‘Holy of Holies,’ the communal section
and the singing section. The tabot is kept in the ‘Holy of Holies,’ an area where only
priests and deacons are allowed to enter. Interestingly, all churches and monasteries in
Ethiopia keep a tabot. In the communal section, this is where people pray and praise God
together as well as receive their holy communion while the singing section is for those
that participate in singing. In this specific peninsula and on all the islands, I was told that
everyone goes to church; it is part of daily life. Usually, the weekly mass takes place
every Saturday from 6 p.m. and lasts until Sunday morning. “We depend on the church
for everything,” said Tafarah, as he explained why people come to church. “Many
people, they come to church if they are sick and they pray to God and they feel better,” he
further explained. The churches are always opened and people can come to pray anytime.
At this church, and many others, women pray on the left side while men pray on the right
side. When I was walking down the corridors, I looked around me to admire the
intricately painted designs on the walls. These paintings, which depict bible stories, are
centuries old, yet the colours are still so rich and bold.
Spending a few hours at this one monastery made me see how these monasteries are the
history and culture of Ethiopia; it is what makes Ethiopia Ethiopia. The people of these
islands and the people of these monasteries have preserved the same lifestyle from
centuries ago; not much has changed, especially when it comes to their relationship with
the church. People from all around the world come to these monasteries to pray in peace;
the isolation of these islands allows one to abandon all worldly concerns and devote
oneself entirely to God. It is no wonder that as I stood on this peninsula, I could see how
people lead their lives so faithfully.
Link
-Religion Curriculum
-History Curriculum
MultiMedia
-Video:
 Overview of Lake Tana monasteries
 Interview with Tafarah
-Pictures
 LakeTanaMonastery1: The paintings in the church of Ura Kidane Meheret
 LakeTanaMonastery2: The paintings in the church of Ura Kidane Meheret
 LakeTanaMonastery3: The entrance into the Monastery of Ura Kidane Meheret
 LakeTanaMonastery4: The church of Ura Kidane Meheret