Photographic postings.
A scribe poses with one of his books at the book market which accompanies the festival of Maryam Tsion in Axum. Scribes come from the neighbouring Tembien area to sell books they have produced in the time since the Hosanna market, the other major festival market of the year.
Monks at the treasury of Abba Garima Monastery display the treasure-binding of a deluxe manuscript (presumably 17th-18th c.). Abba Garima Monastery is famous as the home of the oldest book in Ethiopia (not pictured), which has been carbon-dated to the 6th century. It is also the home monastery of the current patriarch, Abuna Paulos.
Abuna Paulos, Patriarch of the EOTC, sits enthroned before the liturgical dancing at the festivities of St. Mary of Zion, one of the most important feasts of the Ethiopian liturgical year.
The basket market, under a large tree in the centre of town.
The dye sellers measure out dyes for baskets, under a different large tree near the ‘old town.’
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Women bring their brightly-colored handwoven injera baskets to the market at the center of town for the market attached to the festival of Maryam Tsion (St. Mary of Zion) in Axum, Ethiopia. The basket serves as both table and covering for meals, and is a prominent feature of many living rooms.
I was an especial fan of the zombie baristo!
Ladies of the 2009 zombie walk. The two on the left are Jessica Rabbit and Betty Boop.
CMS colleagues
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Long-delayed photos from the 2009 zombie walk organized in the autumn to coincide with TIFF (The Toronto International Film Festival). I am so long in getting them out, I thought I would post many at once, and it was a good project to practice while learning Pages on my new iMac.
A simpler form of shrine to the deceased saints is a rock-pile over the grave, often, though not always, at the base of one of the grand sycamore trees that, as elsewhere in Ethiopia, mark important cult and political sites. This week: shrines in Harar.
Harar is a Sufi area, and the old town and surrounding area is full of shrines to the local saints–over 300 of them, apparently. This one is on a central street, colorfully painted, and with two places for offerings and the burning of incense.