A visit to the rock-hewn churches of Tigray would be incomplete without paying a visit to Abuna Yemata Guh – famous for its location perched high up in the cliffs.

Having first visited two other rock-hewn churches prior to this, I was under the impression that once you have seen one, you have seen them all (eg visiting churches in Europe or temples in Thailand?)  But boy, was I wrong – Abuna Yemata Guh is truly in a league of its own

Unlike the other churches which we had conveniently driven right up to, reaching Abuna Yemata Guh was slightly more tricky. It started off with a trek across the plains with the ultimate target being the rock pillars in the distance.

Climbing upwards was not easy under the hot sun but the superb view of the surrounding landscape more than made up for it.

At one point, we reached this vertical cliff face where we had to remove our footwear before proceeding upwards. By then, a random group of guys had suddenly appeared to provide “support”. With basic instructions of “left foot here, right foot there” from these guys, I scaled the 19-ft vertical wall, gingerly praying that I would not lose my footing.

With the priest leading the way, our group had swelled to 6 people – all just to escort me. By now we were more than 2000ft above ground level and my full concentration was set on making sure I stayed alive.

However, that did not mean there were no spots for a quick picture or two of the breathtaking landscape.

With his index finger pointing upwards to the sky, the guide cheerfully reassured me that “No one has ever fallen given God is watching us.” I could only grunt and continue the nerve-wrecking final leg of the journey which involved scrambling up some rickety branch-bridge and edging gingerly along a cliff path where a misstep would mean plunging down to imminent death. Nonetheless, God was kindly keeping an eye and we thankfully made it safely to the church entrance right around the corner.

The young priest (I don’t know how an elderly priest would have managed this climb) opened up the heavy stone door to reveal a richly decorated rock-hewn church. As the pounding in my heart from the adrenaline of the ascend gradually reduced and my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could only marvel at how the Egyptian Father Abuna could have climbed up here in 5 AD to found this church.

At the urging of the guide, the priest kindly demonstrated how mass was conducted and showed the ancient holy books still kept within the church – all this of course for some kind donation on my part to the church subsequently.

Services are still held here and the devout frequently make the climb up for prayers and baptisms. On the descend down, the guide pointed out a cave containing the skeletal remains of pilgrims. How they could have climbed up here in the past is testimony to their true devotion.

When my feet finally touched level ground at the base of the cliff, I breathed out a sigh of relief – I had survived my visit to Abuna Yemata Guh, the oft-mentioned most dangerous or inaccessible church in the world.

It was truly an amazing experience visiting this extraordinary church and bearing witness to how devoted the faithful can be in literally scaling (great) heights to be closer to God.

HT/  CHING CHONG CHANG’S ADVENTURES