Lying northwest of Addis Ababa, this monastery is an important figure in Ethiopia’s history. The founder, Saint Tekele Haymanot, convinced the Kings of the Zagwe Dynasty of Lalibela to abdicate and return the throne to the Solomonic line, and was heavily involved in spreading the Orthodox faith south of Ethiopia. Abune Tekle-Haimanot (1260 A.D) was later canonized for all his deeds. According to myth, he meditated and prayed in the cave located in the monastery for 29 years. This cave is now visited by numerous religious pilgrims. The cave also contains a spring, whose water is considered to be holy. The monastery’s chief abbot is said to be the second most powerful official in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, after the Patriarch.

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