Rooftop Cross, Hayq Estifanos Church, Wollo, Ethiopia, 2011

Rooftop Cross, Hayq Estifanos Church, Wollo, Ethiopia, 2011

The golden cross on the roof of Hayq Estifanos (The Church of St. Stephen at Hayq). Hayq Estifanos is a monastic community on a peninsula in Lake Hayq (Lake Lake) in the Wollo area of Ethiopia. It was an important early site of monasticism South of Tigray and today is a pleasant place birds sing and monks grow crops.

Hermit, Festival of Maryam Tsion, Axum, Ethiopia, 2009

Hermit, Festival of Maryam Tsion, Axum, Ethiopia, 2009

An eremite watches the celebrations outside of the church compound of Maryam Tsion (St. Mary of Zion), the holiest church in Ethiopia, and supposed resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. The yearly festival of St. Mary is the premiere holiday in Axum.