Timkat, Christianity?s ancient heartbeat in Ethiopia

Timkat, Christianity?s ancient heartbeat in Ethiopia

Mtoday news / Mail

Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of the Epiphany, is usually observed on January 19 (or 20, in a leap year). The largest of all Oriental Orthodox churches, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is one of the few precolonial churches of sub-Saharan Africa. The Church of St George (Bete Giyorgis in Amharic) in Lalibela, Ethiopia, is one of 11 monolithic churches carved out of rock in the 13th century. The most spectacular of them, Bete Giyorgis has simple but beautiful carved windows and its interiors are decorated with colorful painted icons.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town of Lalibela, situated at an altitude of 2,800 meters in the highlands of Ethiopia, was only recently electrified and more than 1,000 of its approximately 10,000 inhabitants are priests. Originally known as Roha, the town was renamed after the 12th century King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned the construction of the rock-hewn churches. One legend goes that the king, poisoned by his brother, fell into a deep death-like stupor in which he was transported to Heaven and instructed by God and St George to build the churches.

 

Ethiopian priests and monks walk during the annual festival of Timkat in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The festival celebrates the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. During Timkat, the Tabot, a model of the Ark of the Covenant, is taken out of every Ethiopian church for 24 hours and paraded during a procession in towns across the country. Over 80% of Ethiopians are estimated to be Orthodox Christians. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians believe the real Ark of the Covenant (a vessel containing the Ten Commandments) is held in Aksum. It is guarded by a select group of monks, whose sole commitment is to protect the sacred vessel.

People walk near the ancient rock-hewn church of Bete Giyorgis in Lalibela, Ethiopia on January 18, 2012. The church dates back to the 13th century.

An Ethiopian Orthodox Christian prays before taking part in celebrations for the annual festival of Timkat. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is one of the few precolonial churches of sub-Saharan Africa. It was administered by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the largest church in Egypt, until 1959 when it was granted its own Patriarch. The Church has nearly 45 million followers, most of whom live in Ethiopia.

A view of the rock-hewn UNESCO protected Church of Saint Emmanuel where Ethiopian Orthodox Christians gather during for the annual festival of Timkat in Lalibela. The church is one of 11 constructed by King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty in the 13th century.
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An Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monk holds a cross at Ure Kidane Mihret monastery at Lake Tana in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia. Ethiopian monks and priests participated in the annual festival of Timkat which  celebrates the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.

Religious paintings at Ure Kidane Mihret Orthodox Christian monastery at Lake Tana in Bahar Dar. Lalibela, situated in the Ethiopian highlands, is not among the world’s most accessible places. It takes approximately two days to reach there by bus from the capital Addis Ababa. However, Lalibela’s religious importance has necessitated the construction of an airport, to which Ethiopian airlines fly three times a week. Ironically, the easiest way to reach Lalibela is by air.