3 / 5 - One review
How to get there
20km from Axsum by car via a small road after the village of Enticio.
When to go
From September to May
Minimum stay
One day
Yeha (Ethiopia)
©
Alan
Practical information about Yeha
Reviews of Yeha
Yeha is a small village in the Tigray situated roughly between Hawzen and Axsum, just before Adwa. It is famous for its pre-Axumite temple, one of the most ancient archeological sites in the country and even the world.
My suggestion:
Check whether the priest is there before paying your entry to the site, so that he can open the small adjoining museum, only he has the keys!
Summary:
The site of Yeha is truly spectacular, as it is a symbol of humanity and Ethiopian history. It is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Just imagine, this temple existed even before the rule of the Sabians in nearby Axum! It is officially dated from the 5th century BC, but in fact it was built in the 8th century BC according to more recent datings. It is dedicated to the Sabian god Almaka, a very mysterious pagan god who we know little about.
When you arrive, you will be unpleasantly surprised to see that entry costs 200 birrs per person, an inflated price as it costs the same as entry to all six sites of Axum put together. In addition, you will obviously have to hire a guide (150 birrs for the group) who will give you the same information as a guide book. You could without this.... But try to get the most in-depth information possible beforehand about this temple if it interests you greatly.
Once there, there is not much left to see apart from the original walls of the Yeha temple, which is still incredible, given their age. It would appear that this civilisation came from the south of the Arabian peninsula, as can be deduced from the same dry wall construction as was used in Yemen at that same time. Two low-relief carvings of the head of the Ibex, the sacred animal of the Sabians, can be seen.
There is also a church dedicated to one of the nine Syrian saints, Abba Aftse. What the priest calls "a museum" contains beautiful examples of ancient Ge'ez calligraphed bibles, but also low-relief carvings of mysterious symbols.
©
Alan
