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| The Church |
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(1) Mountaines site of Monastery Zuramba |
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(2) Path to the Monastery
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„…lower than the sky and higher than the earth“
Zuramba lies upon a rock plateau which is difficult to ascend. Until a few years ago one could reach it only by climbing through a chimney of rocks, but today an easier path to Zuramba has ben built. It stretches for a distance of about 10.000 metres along a canyon. The size of the plateau from north to south is a bit more than 2.000 metres and from east to west about 800 metres. The area is full of stones. The air is filled with the smell of sage emitted from the different bushes of the savannah.
The monastery Zuraba Arägawi Tsirha Aryam has been founded by the Holy Arägawi, one of the “Nine Saints” and it exists since the year 528. At the same time Saint Yared, the inventor of the Ethiopian church music, wrote his collection of hymns the Zemmare Mawassett.
Zuramba is one of the largest cloisters of Ethiopia and must be mentioned together with those of Aksum, Däbrä Damo and Tädbaba Maryam. It is a jewel of Ethiopia and stood formerly under the protection of the emperor.
Literature:
Sirak Asnaqä. „Das Kloster Zuramba: „...tiefer als der Himmel und höher als die Erde“, KuS 46, August 1994, 17-21.
Tellele Desta. Annual Report, KuS 54/ August 2001, 9.
Photos:
1: Marx
2. Beermann