Debre Libanos

Debre Libanos tickets: which one to buy

There is a small entrance fee collected at the gate, and a separate charge if you want to photograph inside; both are cash and modest. Almost every visitor arrives on a day trip from Addis Ababa, 110 kilometres to the south, because the road is the difficult part rather than the site: two to three hours each way depending on traffic out of the capital. Standard tours combine the monastery with the Portuguese Bridge and the viewpoint over the Jemma gorge, a spectacular canyon on the edge of the escarpment, and often stop for the gelada baboons that graze in troops along the cliff.

Longer versions add the Blue Nile gorge further north, which turns it into a very long day. Guides are not provided at the monastery and the church has a deacon who will show you round for a tip. Hiring a driver-guide in Addis for the day costs more than a seat on a group tour but lets you time the light at the gorge, which is the best part of the trip.

Visiting Debre Libanos: what to see

Tekle Haymanot, the most venerated of Ethiopian saints, founded a monastery here in 1284 and prayed for years in a cave in the cliff above, standing on one leg for the last seven of them according to tradition. His foundation became the second seat of power in the Ethiopian church after the Abuna. Nothing original survives; the complex was burned in 1531 and again suffered under the Italian occupation, when a massacre of the monks took place in 1937.

The present church was built in 1961 on the orders of Haile Selassie, a circular building with a copper roof and tall stained-glass windows by Afewerk Tekle showing the saint's life. Inside, pilgrims in white shawls pray along the walls and the tomb of Tekle Haymanot lies beneath. A path leads up to the cave and its holy spring in about ten minutes, and pilgrims queue to be blessed with the water. The setting, on a terrace between the cliff and the gorge, is as memorable as the buildings.

Debre Libanos opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open daily during daylight, and services start very early, with the main liturgy over before most visitors arrive. Ethiopian religious festivals transform it: the feast of Tekle Haymanot draws large crowds of pilgrims, and the site is full rather than quiet. The dry season from October to March is the practical time to come, with clear views into the gorge; the rains from June to September make the descent slippery and the road slower.

Altitude here is about 2,500 metres, so the sun is fierce and the shade is cold. Dress modestly and remove shoes before entering the church, as everyone does. Women and men traditionally stand on separate sides. Photography inside requires the extra fee and is not permitted during the liturgy. Allow an hour at the monastery, two if you walk to the cave, and keep the middle of the day for the gorge viewpoints where the baboons are easiest to find.