Journeying to Abuna Yamata, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church carved into a sheer cliff face in the Tigray region, is an extreme act of faith, one that Wode Maya declared was "indeed the most dangerous climb to the place of worship". Situated at a startling altitude of 2,580 meters above sea level, the church is famed as the most inaccessible in the world, requiring visitors to scale a monolithic mountain using only hand and foot grips. Wode Maya's expedition revealed that the ascent is so terrifying that his cameraman refused to film, saying, "I won’t die to film this," a point Wode Maya acknowledged as valid. Despite the fear—Wode Maya admitted he thought he "was about to die"—the traveler found the immense effort "so worth it" because "every single view that you see is worth it".
Ethiopia holds a rich history predating this extreme Christian heritage. It was home to Axum, one of Africa's greatest ancient empires, whose civilization dates back approximately 3,800 years. Axum is tied to the legend of the Queen of Sheba, who supposedly brought the Ark of the Covenant from King Solomon, and it is believed Ethiopia is the current seat of the Ark. Ethiopia was among the first kingdoms globally to embrace Christianity in the 4th century, which was later spread across the region by nine saints. These saints built several monasteries, particularly in the northern Tigray region, where the area of Dalta alone has 120 rock-hewn churches on the mountaintops. These churches were built in caves and on cliffs for safety, seclusion, and because legend suggests that if you pray at the top of a mountain, "the god can accept easily" one's ideas.
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Abuna Yemata Guh
The climb to Abuna Yamata is a daily reality for the priest, who is 70 years old and has been climbing to pray and worship for 55 years. Wode Maya noted that at one point during the terrifying ascent, shoes must be removed, requiring pilgrims to walk barefoot, as the area is considered part of the church. Upon reaching the peak, the guides declared, "Welcome to heaven, bro," a sentiment echoed by Wode Maya, who felt "literally close to God because we are in the sky". The priest himself feels happy when he comes daily, viewing the mountain as coming to "the heaven," feeling "very close to sky".
The church itself is fully carved from the rock, a cave church dating back to the six centuries when one of the nine saints came to spread Christianity. Inside, the floor is covered with a soothing woolen carpet. The walls display original, untouched art paintings done by Manta's nephew in the 11th century. The Ethiopian Bible used in the church is a parchment book written in Ge'ez, an ancient Ethiopian language, and made from "the skin of god". No one knows the age of this ancient book, not even the 70-year-old priest.
The sheer commitment to faith required is evident in the rituals surrounding the mountain. Next to the peak is a graveyard carved into the mountain where generations of priests and monks were buried in the past. Most incredibly, an adjacent baptism cave exists where mothers must carry their babies up the mountain to be baptized boys after 40 days and girls after 80 days. Wode Maya was shocked, calling the act of carrying a baby up the treacherous ascent "insane".
Despite the overwhelming difficulty, people continue to climb in large numbers for religious purposes, seeking a blessing and to feel closer to God. Wode Maya noted meeting "a lot of people that are climbing up to the church just to go and pray," many of whom were women. For the faithful, the spiritual reward outweighs the immense risk, an assurance that is perhaps bolstered by the fact that no one is recorded to have ever fallen during the climb. Wode Maya emphasized that the video was made "strictly for education purposes" and expressed hope that the journey would inspire viewers to visit Abuna Yamata.
Furthermore, Wode Maya took a moment to assure his audience that the Tigray region, despite outside advice to the contrary, is "one of the safest regions in Ethiopia right now".
