The Mountains of Tigray: Debre Damo

Perched atop a striking flat-topped Amba, Debre Damo is Ethiopia’s oldest monastery, located near the Eritrean border. This historic site is accessible only by scaling a long leather rope—a tradition that once served as a security measure, allowing monks to withdraw access in times of danger.

Today, the monastery welcomes visitors arriving with peaceful intentions, though entry remains strictly by rope. In keeping with ancient customs, women and all female beings are prohibited from entering the monastic grounds—a practice observed in several, though not all, monasteries in Tigray.