Debre Libanos Monastery-Eritrea's Historical and Cultural Heritage

It was Christmas Eve in Asmara and I decided not to attend midnight mass, choosing instead to go in the morning, to attend services at the Asmara Cathedral. I felt as if I had been at church, the night was filled with joyous choruses coming from the various churches in the city. I could almost hear the entire service from my room. The church bells were ringing and I found myself humming in the middle of the night, not just to the sounds coming from the Christian churches but unbeknownst to me, also to the melodic sounds coming from the Mosque nearby. At one point, in the early hours of the morning, it seemed as if the two sounds blended into a Christmas lullaby and I fell asleep. It was exactly how I wanted to spend my very first Christmas night in Eritrea…in perfect harmony. Speaking of harmony… allow me to share my latest escapade …to a faraway place, where man and nature come together in divine accord.

There are a couple of places that are on my to-go-to list on each and every trip to Eritrea. The open market is a must go and then there are two spots that have become my favorite for quick getaways from the city. One is the Durfo Bar just outside the city. I love walking the train tracks and watching the clouds covering the mountains. My second favorite getaway is the coffee shop located off the road at the famous 16km mark, "Sedici", along the Asmara - Massawa road. If I get there early enough and it is beles-cactus season, I hang out with the kids and eat a few…ok, more than a few and take some back to the house. All other times it is my favorite place for catching the sunset…it´s glorious from this spot. It seems to linger the longest as it drops into the mountains, and suddenly it´s gone. If I get there late in the evening, then it´s just to chill and enjoy the scenery… and gaze at the thousands of stars that light up the Asmara nights.

It was on one such visit to Sedici that I saw a flickering light and thought for a moment that I had seen a star move. There was something different about that star in the distant sky…After watching it flicker in the starred night for a few minutes, I decided to get it out of my mind and enjoy the cool evening breeze. It did it again…it was still there and from the corner of my eye, I saw it flicker again and again. Obviously it was not a star. I had to know what it was. I asked my friend and he told me that it was coming from the Debre Bizen monastery, one of the oldest and most renowned monasteries in Eritrea. It had my undivided attention… now what? Before I could even open my mouth to ask my question, my friend, who knew me only too well quickly said, "You can´t go there; it´s open only to men". I knew that!

Probably payback for Eve outsmarting Adam way back then…Just kidding…I am sure there is a more pious reason. Speaking of piety, this trip was my chance to learn more about Eritrea´s long history of monasticism. Christianity and Islam were introduced in the 4th and 7th centuries respectively and these two religions are practiced by some 90% of the population. Christianity was introduced by two Syrians, Frumentius and Aedesius of Tyre (Syria) and Islam came with traders along the Red Sea. Eritrea´s population is evenly divided between Christians and Muslims and the presence of ancient monasteries and mosques attest not just to the antiquity of Orthodoxy and Islam in Eritrea, but also to the exemplary culture of tolerance and respect that has existed for centuries amongst the believers.

The Sehab mosque in Massawa is reported to have been used by the first followers of Prophet Mohammad in AD650. The Shafi´e mosque, also in Massawa, was built more than 1000 years ago. Its beautiful interior boasts several decorative arches and columns. Both these mosques are considered to be the oldest in Africa. The Sheikh Hamal Mosque and funerary is believed to have been built in 1580. These mosques contain ancient manuscripts written in Kufic (ancient Arabic) script, paintings and other items of cultural and historical significance.

Debre Bizen (4th century), Debre Sina (6th Century) and Debre Libanos (5th century) are the oldest and most famous monasteries in Eritrea. Rare manuscripts in Ge´ez (ancient liturgical language of Eritrean Christians), hand written scrolls and impressive panel paintings can be found in these monasteries. The Debre Bizen monastery is said to house more than 1,000 medieval manuscripts, illuminated parchments bound in thick leather, cloth and wood. Amongst the manuscripts is the monastery´s history, copies of ancient Coptic Bibles, a vellum copy of "The Lives of the Saints," inscribed in 1361 and more. The Debre Mariam is another monastery that is said to have an impressive collection of old writings. For all the women who cannot go to the monasteries to see these items, there are some on display at the National Museum of Eritrea…so don´t sweat it.

There are 21 active monasteries in Eritrea, 15 in the Debub region, 2 in the Anseba region and 1 in the Anseba region and 1 in the Seminawi Keyih Bahri region. If you venture down towards Hagaz, make sure you visit the Emba Tsada monastery…These medieval structures are tucked on top of mountains, some built into natural cavities in the rock, blending with it. In them, and around them, are monuments to Eritrea´s ancient history and civilization. As we went through the list of monasteries, a friend suggested Debre Libanos (also known as Debre Hawaryat), a monastery located in Hamm, near the village of Tserona, about 150km from Asmara. Like the rest of the monasteries, it was also open only to men. Luckily…turns out that there is a part of the monastic complex that did allow women and that many women made the pilgrimage to Debre Libanos during the annual religious feast in honor of its founder, for day and week long retreats.

Alleluia!

I was not about to pass up the chance to see Debre Libanos…at least the parts that I could. It would be worth the trip just to see the majestic Hamm Mountains, but I found out that I was going to get more. This was also the place where about 60 mummies-believed to be of medieval monks- were found. My mind was made up…I had to go. My youngest son, an aspiring paleontologist, would be fascinated and I knew that pictures of Eritrean mummies would make a nice addition to his collection. I was quickly realizing how rich Eritrean ancient history was. So much had happened after Eritrea´s independence and Eritrea´s recent history was the history of my lifetime, it was the one that I lived through, it was the one that I most related to. I was about to delve into the ancient world. I did not know what to expect and I already had so many questions about the whole ´mummification´ thing …Is this going to be another never ending quest and where else would it take me…

Accompanying me on my trip to Debre Libanos was Ermias, an Eritrean archeologist and researcher from the National Museum of Eritrea. We decided to leave Asmara early in the morning and headed towards Dekemhare. We were on a very tight schedule so we decided to head straight to Tserona. We drove through several small villages on the way and didn´t mind stopping when we got to Mai Aini to fix a flat tire. Ermias and I walked to a nearby house where they told us we could get tea. We sat on stools outside on the patio and watched as children played and the villagers went about their early morning chores. Our tire fixed, we were on the road again.

After driving for a couple of hours, we veered off to a road on the left and began the climb to the monastery. About midway up the winding road we saw men and women working on the road. It looked like the whole village was out working on that road. We continued up the road and were stopped by a group of men and a monk dressed in a yellow cloak. We stopped the car. Now what is the monk doing on the road? We would soon find out for he was making his way to the car accompanied by some men. Ermias recognized the monk amongst them as being the person we were told to meet. Abba Ogbamichael was the Abbot. He came over and after a brief introduction called on his helpers to bring some sewa-local brew and thick dark injera, pancake-like bread and some tea. The tea tasted different… it was abake…fenugreek tea. We sat in the car and waited while Abba paid the workers and soon we were on our way. He explained that the weathered road was being refurbished for the upcoming religious feast.

Once at the top, he sat us under a tree and went off. Ermias and I took pictures of the Hamm Mountain. . Ermias pointed to the monastery way up there. It is a breathtaking landscape… painted in beautiful earthly hues, illuminated rocks rising from the valley below, reaching to touch the blue sky above, only to drop suddenly to touch the next crevice. Somewhere in between sits the sprawling monastery, its walls on the edge of the cliff. The entire scene was too spectacular to be anything but of the Gods… and nothing but God´s water, sunshine, wind and time...lots of time, hundreds of years, could create the stone sculptures that surround this place. I can see why Abba Libanos picked this spot for his hideaway…it was quite heavenly.

At the bottom of the cliff was a beautiful church. It had the familiar "Abyssinian" architecture and I wondered what the inside looked like. I can only imagine. Every time I enter a church in Eritrea…no matter where it is…it is intricately painted frescoes that are always a pleasant surprise…If you looked up into the dome ceilings, you are bound to see colorful murals of angels with their wings spread out as if to envelop all. The walls usually have beautiful paintings of the disciples and saints, to remind us…to serve as examples. But no matter the size of the church, there has to be at least one painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary-she could be cradling Jesus in her arms or standing or else there will be a full body version (usually in a blue attire) and her gentle toes stepping on a snake´s head. Back in the old days, there was no paint and so these artists-usually the monks themselves- got the colors from plants. They mixed them together to create the unique and interesting palettes that we see in the old churches.

Sitting under the shade, we took pictures of the spectacular scenery while we waited for Abba Ogbamichael to return. All of a sudden there was a cacophony of sounds coming from somewhere at the top and seemed to be echoing back and forth, disturbing the peace in the otherwise quite valley. I thought it sounded like monkeys, but I was wrong. Imagine my surprise when Ermias told me that it was birds that were making the ruckus…probably enjoying the open space and perfect hiding places. It´s such a perfect place for hikers and mountain climbers, bird watchers, photographers and nature buffs. With so many quiet and secluded grottos scattered throughout the area, it´s perfect for spiritual meditation and inquiry, and for those interested in archeology and ancient monuments, it´s got it all and more.

Abba was not gone for too long and when he returned he had something for us. He brought papayas and some limes. He cut up the fruit, sprinkled lime all over and gave it to us. He also had a pitcher of cold lemonade…made with fresh lemons from the monastery. Everything tasted fresh and cool and he told us that they produced everything that they consumed. Rested and ready, we started our walk towards the church tucked in the mountains way up there, across the valley below. Sammy, the monk´s young apprentice carried my camera case and notebook. I didn´t understand why. What was I going to carry? I soon found out…

I was feeling pretty good as we walked across the field and despite some rocky spots, everything seemed ok… but as we started climbing, I realized that the climb was not going to be as easy as it looked from the distance. Abba Ogbamichael held my hands and guided me through the shrubbery and huge stones that served as natural stairs…There was no path, it seemed you picked your own. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the church and I had to rest at least three times. I was glad that we had the lemonade earlier…the climb was making me thirsty…but I could go on…or could I? Everything seemed to swirl around me. It was not a steep climb; it just had way too many rocks for me. My legs were too short for some of the boulders. Somehow I made it…We were finally at the top. I looked back and over across the valley… the view was out of this world…breathless…and so was I.

We walked towards the church where the mummies were housed. There an interesting rectangular cistern on the left hand side and it was half full of water. The water was collected as it dripped slowly from the mountainside. It was not raining and had not rained recently, so where was the water coming from? Abba explained that it was caused by the mist that collects in the nooks and crevices of the mountain range and through gravity directed itself right to the receptacle below. There was something else that caught my attention. On one side of the mountain (all stone) was some shrubbery that had grown and was hanging on the side in a decorative manner. How did it get there? I was told that it was all part of the natural weathering of the mountains, something about wind, water, moss, mildew, algae and creatures such as the noisy birds, all coming together to produce this unlikely plant formation…good enough for me.

Abba Ogbamichael took us to the visitor´s parlor to rest. It was sparsely furnished and had a couple of windows to let in the light. We sat on the benches and chatted. What happened next took me by surprise. Father Ogbamichael came in with a big metal round basin and had us remove our shoes. He then washed our feet, one at a time. Initially the water startled me…it was so cold. After a while I got used to it. He massaged our legs with swift moves. His hands were strong. It actually felt really good and all the soreness from my calves was gone. He had washed it all away. We sat there for a few minutes and drank more of the cold fresh lemonade.

Then it was time to go see the mummies. We walked outside, barefoot, as shoes are not allowed beyond the parlor, and made our way up a couple of stairs to the old church. There were some men and women working and we were introduced to another Abba. Turns out, he was in charge of the mummies…he watched over them. He lived on this side of the monastery all by himself…with his mummies…in total solitude. Abba opened the doors to a small room that had been recently built recently to house the mummies. He went inside and opened the windows to let in some light so that we could see the mummies.

There they were stacked one on top of the other. They were covered with cloth and some kind of rope wrapped around the bodies. There was hair on some of the mummies´ heads and the nails on the toes and fingers seem to be well preserved. Ermias told me that the body of Abba Libanos was believed to be amongst the bodies found…the sooner they get moved…the sooner we´ll find out. Abba told me that he was concerned about them. He wanted to find a place for them where they could be preserved and be made available for viewing and research but he was worried about moving them too much. He didn´t want them compromised…exposed…and I sensed that it was not the natural elements that were causing his anxiety.

Finding the mummies raises a lot of questions for Eritrea´s anthropologists and historians. Were the bodies preserved naturally or was it a deliberate intervention by others? Why were these Christian monks mummified? What was the purpose of preserving the bodies of these monks when life after death in the Christian religion is supposed to be spiritual, and not of the flesh? Was this a practice reserved for just religious figures? Since mummification pre-dates Christianity, did the practice persist despite the introduction of the new religion? These and many related questions remain. Ermias and his team at the National Museum of Eritrea are conducting the research and they tell me that they would welcome others who want to join them in their quest for answers into Eritrea´s ancient past.

There is no evidence that mummification was used anywhere else except in the monasteries and seems to be something that was introduced to Eritrea by others…most probably Egyptians, in the 4th or 5th century. In "Paleoanthropological and Archeo-Historical Research on Eritrea", a book published by the National Museum of Eritrea (2008), Ermias, writes about the practice of preservation of animal flesh, plants and skin (animal hide) and the many uses that are still prevalent in Eritrea´s past and present. There is quanta, akin to the American beef jerky, except in Eritrea it is used to make great sauces. There is also agoza, animal skin preserved with its fur, used to make mats, clothing and furniture. And then there is my favorite-lakha. This dried palm leaf is used to make the many beautiful traditional thatched mats, servers and more.

After I took pictures, Abba closed the windows and the doors. He then took us to see the new church that was being constructed right next to the old church. They were hewn right into the mountain side using every nook and space available. With less than 10 feet left to the edge, and a sharp drop below, they had no choice but to use as much of the mountain as the back wall. Soon it was time to leave and after saying our goodbyes, we started our descent down to the valley. The trek was much easier going down and we at the bottom real quick. We stopped to see a spot marked by huge metal rings. Abba told us that it was a spot where gold was found and taken by some Italians a long time ago. Interesting…what else is hidden underneath these huge boulders?

It is said that Abba Libanos (also known as Abba Mata´a) believed to be of Middle Eastern descent, is one of the monks that introduced the monastic system in the region. These monasteries became centers of learning. Today, many young students, like Sammy, would begin their education here by first learning the Ge-ez alphabets. Here these young boys will learn about discipline, service, sacrifice, respect and honor. Ermias told me that each monastery had, in addition to a church, living quarters for the monks, separate quarters for the students, a mill, a well or some source of water, a library and several gardens. This monastery will soon have its own dam. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done before the dam can become fully operational. When it is finally completed, he says it will help cultivate more of the lands in the valley and provide food not just for the monastery but also for the surrounding villages

About 70 monks live at the monastery along with a few dozen students. Abba told me that everyone worked long hours in the farms, when they were not praying, and that on average, they slept 4 hours a day. He told me that during the many years of colonization the monasteries had been neglected and had to fend for themselves. He said the war for liberation was the most difficult time as they Ethiopian church had cut all support for the monastery. After independence, the Government of Eritrea helped renovate the monastery buildings and constructed the roads that lead up to the valley below and I snow building the dam. Abba Ogbamichael told me that the monastery also had electricity powered by solar energy.

It was getting late and we had to go, we still had a few more places to visit. We were heading for Senafe and Adi Queyih. We exchanged addresses and contact information. Abba wanted more Eritreans to come and see the monastery, learn about their rich religious cultures and help in the preservation of its historical manuscripts, paintings and artifacts. We had missed lunch and so he brought us some kitcha-flat bread with honey. There was also water mixed with honey for washing it down. The honey was delicious…so thick and sweet. That too came from the monastery. He brought us some fruits to take on the road and then we drove away, promising to return. There was so much about the Orthodox Church and its history that we have yet to understand.

Debre Libanos, a bastion of Christianity in Eritrea is a must see. Become a friend of the National Museum of Eritrea…add it to your itinerary when in Asmara…support their work and help preserve Eritrea´s rich cultural and historical heritage.