The photographs in this gallery were taken during a tour of the “historical circuit” of Ethiopia, arranged to coincide with the celebrations of Easter.

Our tour began in the capital of Addis Ababa where we witnessed the very spiritual occasion of Palm Sunday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. From there we travelled to the region of Tigray where we visited a number of old churches that had been partially carved and partially constructed out of rock. The churches were scattered over a wide area and most sat on remote cliffsides requiring long walks and sometimes steep climbs. At Aksum, the holiest site in Ethiopia, we saw the Chapel of the Tablet which houses the Ark of the Covenant. The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela were quite different in comparison to those in Tigray. These were carved entirely out of the surrounding rock, and were concentrated in two small groups interconnected by tunnels and passageways. Our final destination was the city of Gondar where we joined in an overnight vigil on Easter eve at the Debre Berhan Selassie Church, returning the following morning to view its wonderfully painted interior.

For information about tours to Ethiopia click here.