Monastery & Gorge · Central Ethiopia
Debre Libanos
About a hundred kilometres north of Addis Ababa, Debre Libanos was founded in 1284 by Saint Tekle Haymanot and became one of the most important monasteries in the country — its abbot once second only to the head of the Church.
Why We Go
A monastery above a Blue Nile gorge, founded by one of Ethiopia's greatest saints.
Tekle Haymanot founded the monastery in 1284 under the name Debre Atsbo; it took the name Debre Libanos in the fifteenth century. For centuries its chief abbot, the Ichege, was the second most powerful figure in the Ethiopian Church, and it remains a major place of pilgrimage today.
The setting is half the reason to come. The monastery sits on a ledge between a cliff and a deep gorge, and short walks lead out to viewpoints over the Jemma valley, where gelada monkeys graze the grass along the rim.
On the way, an old stone bridge spans a side gorge. Locals call it the Portuguese bridge, but it was built in the 1890s by Ras Darge in the older Portuguese style — a small story we like to tell accurately.
Highlights
- 01The monastery on its terrace between the cliffs and the gorge, still a major place of pilgrimage
- 02The Jemma gorge viewpoints, dropping toward a tributary of the Blue Nile
- 03Gelada monkeys grazing along the cliff edge
- 04The old stone bridge, locally called "Portuguese" but built in the 1890s by Ras Darge
Best combined with a stay of 1 day, or an overnight, travelling October – May.
Journeys Including Debre Libanos
Routes that pass through here
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Or call us directly on +1909-450-7246