Painted murals
On the walls.
Sailko — CC BY 3.0 · Sailko — CC BY 3.0 · Sailko — CC BY 3.0 · Sailko — CC BY 3.0 · Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada — CC BY-SA 2.0
Ura Kidane Mehret is a round church with a conical roof on the Zege Peninsula in Lake Tana. You reach it along a path through coffee bushes and forest, and find a circular building inside walls and gateways of thatch and stone. The monastery was founded in the 14th century by Saint Betre Mariyam, while the present round church dates from the 16th century. Its inner walls are covered with colourful murals painted between 100 and 250 years ago, the most important by Alaqa Engida in the reign of Emperor Menelik II. At least one author rates it the most attractive church of the Lake Tana region. A nearby building holds a treasury with the crowns of several Ethiopian emperors and old embroidered robes. Many boat trips from Bahir Dar stop here, and it can also be reached by road. It is about 14 km in a straight line northwest of Bahir Dar. Take off your shoes to enter and agree the boat price before setting off. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to the Amhara region, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
On the walls.
Nearby building.
Through coffee.
Zege Peninsula, Lake Tana, near Bahir Dar, Amhara region
By boat from Bahir Dar or by road.
About one to two hours.