A sign prohibiting the entrance of women at the entrance to the Kibran Gabriel Island Monastery on Lake Tana in Ethiopia

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Lake Tana & its Monasteries

Lake Tana’s beauty can only be truly appreciated when you get out beyond the city to enjoy azure waters, a lush shoreline and rich birdlife. But even the lake's natural beauty plays second fiddle to its centuries-old monasteries, full of paintings and treasures, and some pretty impressive numbers: Tana is Ethiopia’s largest lake, covering more than 3500 sq km, and its waters are the source of the Blue Nile, which flows 5223km north to the Mediterranean Sea.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Ura Kidane Meret
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
The Zege Peninsula’s largest and most famous monastery is hardly the most attractive on the outside, but its maqdas (inner sanctuary) is beautifully…
Narga Selassie
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
Set in the middle of the lake on Dek Island, Narga Selassie is peaceful, atmospheric and little visited. Built in the mid-18th century, it has a Gonderian…
Dega Estefanos
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
One of the lake’s most sacred monasteries, Dega Estefanos (men only) was rebuilt in the mid-19th century and though the church isn’t too interesting, it…
Bete Selassie
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
Bete Selassie (men only) is a 30- to 45-minute walk inland from the Lake Tana shore at Zege Peninsula. The simple exterior of the church (rebuilt in 1858)…
Outlet of the Blue Nile
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
The Blue Nile outlet, a 20-minute boat ride east of Bahir Dar, has far greater geographical significance than it does natural beauty, although there's…
Azuwa Maryam
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
The thatch roof atop the church at Azuwa Maryam helps make it the best-looking church on Zege (currently Bete Maryam is the only other church with thatch)…
Debre Maryam
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
The original 14th-century (some say 12th-century) church at Debre Maryam was rebuilt by Tewodros in the 19th century. It’s unattractive both outside and…
Kebran Gabriel
Lake Tana & its Monasteries
Though the 17th-century church at Kebran Gabriel is beautiful, it’s no longer open to the public and the museums (one each for men and women) have nothing…