Principal Monasteries of Ethiopia and Eritrea

• Debre Libanos Monastery – Ethiopia. The most important monastery of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
• Debre Damo Monastery – Tigray, Ethiopia. One of the oldest and most famous monasteries in Africa.
• Monasteries of Lake Tana – Ethiopia. The principal monastic region of northwestern Ethiopia.
• Lalibela Monastic Complex – Ethiopia. Historic monastic centre associated with the rock-hewn churches.
• Monastery of Abuna Yemata Guh – Tigray. Famous mountain monastery.
• Debre Bizen Monastery – Eritrea. Principal monastery of Eritrea.

Tigray and Northern Ethiopia

• Debre Damo Monastery – Tigray. Ancient monastery accessible only by rope.
• Monastery of Abuna Yemata Guh – Tigray. Cliff monastery famous for its frescoes.
• Monastery of Abreha wa Atsbeha – Tigray. Historic monastery associated with the early Christian kings of Ethiopia.
• Monastery of Debre Tsion – Tigray. Important monastic foundation of northern Ethiopia.
• Monastery of Gheralta – Tigray. One of the best-known monastic regions of Ethiopia.

Lake Tana and Northwestern Ethiopia

• Monastery of Ura Kidane Mehret – Lake Tana. One of the most important monasteries of Ethiopia.
• Monastery of Kebran Gabriel – Lake Tana. Major monastery on one of the islands of Lake Tana.
• Monastery of Narga Selassie – Lake Tana. Historic island monastery.
• Monastery of Daga Estifanos – Lake Tana. Monastery associated with the Ethiopian emperors.
• Monastery of Tana Qirqos – Lake Tana. Ancient monastic site of Ethiopian tradition.

Debre Libanos, Shewa, and Central Ethiopia

• Debre Libanos Monastery – Shewa. Principal monastery of Ethiopia.
• Monastery of Zuquala – central Ethiopia. Ancient mountain monastery.
• Monastery of Waldibba – northwestern Ethiopia. Important monastic region and centre of ascetic life.
• Monastery of Saint Tekle Haymanot – Ethiopia. Historic monastic foundation.
• Monastery of Debre Berhan Selassie – Gondar region. Major monastery and church complex.

Lalibela and Southern Ethiopia

• Lalibela Monastic Complex – Lalibela. The foremost pilgrimage and monastic centre of Ethiopia.
• Monastery of Ashetan Maryam – near Lalibela. Important mountain monastery.
• Monastery of Yemrehanna Kristos – northern Ethiopia. Ancient monastic church and monastery.
• Monastery of Genete Maryam – Ethiopia. Historic monastery associated with the Lalibela region.

Eritrea

• Debre Bizen Monastery – Eritrea. Principal monastery of Eritrea.
• Monastery of Abune Endrias – Eritrea. Historic monastery of the Eritrean highlands.
• Monastery of Saint Mary of Asmara – Eritrea. Orthodox monastery associated with the Eritrean Orthodox Church.
• Convent of Saint Mary – Eritrea. Principal women’s monastery in Eritrea.

Female Monasteries and Convents of Special Importance

• Convent of Saint Mary – Ethiopia. One of the principal women’s monasteries of Ethiopia.
• Convent of Kidane Mehret – Ethiopia. Important women’s monastery associated with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
• Convent of Saint Mary – Eritrea. Principal women’s monastery of Eritrea.
• Convent of Saint Tekla Haimanot – Ethiopia. Orthodox women’s monastic community.

Observations

• Ethiopia possesses one of the largest and oldest monastic traditions in the Christian world.
• Debre Libanos, Debre Damo, Lalibela, and the monasteries of Lake Tana are the principal monastic centres of Ethiopia.
• The monasteries of Tigray and Eritrea preserve some of the oldest surviving Christian traditions in Africa.
• The Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches preserve a distinctive Oriental Orthodox monasticism with strong ascetic and liturgical traditions.
• Many Ethiopian monasteries remain active pilgrimage centres and centres of manuscript preservation.