A visit to Ethiopia’s Tigray province is both blissfully simple and deeply spiritual. By Conor Purcell

To most people, Ethiopia is a byword for famine and a protracted civil war. But the nation has by and large recovered from those dark days, and compared to some of its neighbors in eastern Africa, it’s a veritable poster boy for development. It’s also one of the most diverse places on the continent thanks to its blend of religious beliefs and variety of topography, from the bubbling otherworldliness of the Danakil Depression to the sub-tropical charm of Lake Chew Bahri. The northern swath of Ethiopia—the Tigray province—is a particularly stunning mix of staccato rock formations, piercing mountains and rolling green hills punctuated by olive trees and wheat fields, not to mention dozens of churches carved into the mountain and cliff faces.

Tigray is a place utterly reliant on the land—for food, for water and for shelter. Houses here are made of red limestone rock, a material so beautiful the Italian colonial rulers used it to build their summer homes in Tuscany. The crops grown are simple: wheat, barley, maize and corn; which provide both food for the population and shade for the weary trekker.

And trekking is what most visitors to the region do. Trekking across fields, through riverbeds and over mountains to get to some of the most difficult-to-reach and most beautiful churches in the world. The whole of northern Ethiopia is famous for its churches, but those in Tigray are in the most spectacular locations, and many are unknown, even to the locals.

The remote nature of the province means that accommodation is thin on the ground, and up to a few years ago visitors were forced to use the town of Mekelle—some two hours from most of the churches—as a base. That changed last year when a retired Italian engineer named Silvio Risotti opened the Gheralta Lodge right in the heart of Tigray. The lodge is spread over a number of stone buildings, each positioned so as to take advantage of the view out across the Hawzen Plain to the Gheralta mountain range. While the exteriors mimic the traditional Tigray style, the interiors are very much modern with hot running water, fresh towels and scented soap.

For most visitors to the region, the main attraction is the 36 churches that are carved into the peaks, cliffs and overhangs of the Gheralta range. Almost all are still in use and many are known only to a few locals, thanks in large part to their unique history. Located hundreds of meters above the ground and often only accessible by way of a vertigo-inducing climb, the churches were built so that the faithful could be closer to God and to ward off attackers who did not take too kindly to the local faith. That Christianity survived in such a hostile landscape is a testament to the bravery of those early pilgrims.

One of the most spectacular—and most inaccessible—churches in Gheralta is Abuna Yemata Guh. Located at the top of a huge rock pillar, it can only be reached by climbing a sheer cliff face. At the summit, a narrow ridge curves around to the other side of the rock face leading to the church entrance. The narrowness of the ledge, the sheer drop (200 meters to the ground), smooth cliff face and stocking-clad feet (no footwear is allowed in the churches) do not add up to a good time. But the church itself is worth the effort. Carved by hand out of the rock, its walls are covered with intricate paintings of the apostles and saints. The paintings, dating from the 6th century, are vivid, almost cartoon-like in style and immaculately preserved.

Another church worth visiting is Papaseti, as much for the trip there as for the church itself. The journey takes you through wheat and barley fields and dried-up riverbeds as small children herd goats and cattle and ruby-red mountains rise up on both sides of the valley. It also brings home how little has changed here in a thousand years. The children still wear tattered robes, everyone walks, and the farming is all done by hand.

On the approach to the tiny hamlet that marks the entrance to the Papaseti church, children run barefoot across thatched rooftops shouting “ferengi, ferengi” (foreigner), announcing to the whole village that a tourist has arrived. This happens about twice a week, so for the local children, the novelty of seeing a “white man” has not worn off. And it’s in the smiling faces of the children that most memories of Ethiopia will be made. They have nothing, yet they ask for nothing, and their constant smiles and laughter will last long in the memory. And while the scenery of the Tigray sets the place apart, it’s the people living there that make it truly special.

Essentials
International dialing code: 251
Time zone difference: Five hours behind Hong Kong
Currency: 1 Hong Kong Dollar = 1.25 Ethiopian Birr

Getting There
Ethiopian Airlines flies directly to Addis Ababa from Hong Kong, and has daily flights from the capital to Mekele. Fares start at $7,750. Reservations at 2117-0233.