The isolated 6th century monastery of Debre Damo is renowned for its ancient Axumite architecture and cliff-top location. It was founded by a Syrian monk, Abuna Za-Mikael Aregawi, one of the so-called Nine Saints, at the commission of Emperor Gebre Meskel. It is a mystery how Aregawi reached the plateau on which the monastery stands, but tradition has it that he was carried up by a flying serpent! It is also said that Abba Aregawi's disciple, Tekle Haymanot, sprouted wings to escape when the devil cut the rope he was climbing up - after which he was able to make regular flying trips to Jerusalem!
The monastery has been one of the holiest in Ethiopia since Emperor Gebre Meskel was buried there. It also served for several centuries as a place of imprisonment for princes with a claim to the imperial throne, and it is said that when Queen Gudit overthrew Axum, she massacred up to 400 princes held captive here. In 1540, Debre Damo also became the final resting place of Emperor Lebna Dengal, in exile after his defeat by Ahmed Gragn.
Debre Damo's most important architectural feature is its beautiful old two-storey Abba Aregawi Church, built in the 10th or 11th century, which makes it one of the oldest built-up churches in Ethiopia. Other ancient buildings include a second church, reputedly built on the exact spot where Abuna Aregawi vanished into thin air at the end of his mortal existence. There are also a number of rock-hewn tombs and cramped hermit caves, the hermits being fed bread and water lowered on ropes from the monastery.
