Lake Tana and its Monestaries » Venture Ethiopia - Tours and Travel

Lake Tana and its Monestaries

Designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in June 2015, Lake Tana is Ethiopia's largest lake and is source of the Blue Nile.  The fertile shores of Lake Tana are home to an ancient cultural heritage and unique biodiversity. Lake Tana has thirty-seven islands, twenty of which host Ethiopian Orthodox churches and monasteries that lie hidden in the remaining native forests. These religious sites are considered sacred and provide refuge and shelter for many rare plant and animal species of local and international significance.

Lake Tana is a shallow freshwater lake supporting at least 26 different species of fish, more than half of which are endemic to the lake.  These in turn support a whole host of bird life, with flotillas of white pelicans a common sight, whilst small pods of hippos can be found in the shallows.

Meanwhile, the ancient monasteries of Lake Tana's islands and peninsulas are remote and peaceful retreats, shrouded in mystery and legend.  Many of the lake's monasteries house great troves of treasures, for example Kibran Gebriel, with its library of hundreds of ancient books, and Daga Istafanos, which holds the mummified remains of five former Ethiopian emperors, including Fasilidas, the founder of Gondar.

According to local legend, many of the lake monasteries date from the early 14th century, but at least two date from the more recent Gondarine period and many may in fact date from much earlier than the 14th century, or have begun life as pre-Christian shrines.  The monastery of Tana Chirkos, for example, lies alongside a trio of very ancient Judaic sacrificial pillars, and is also legendarily the place where the ark of the Covenant was housed prior to the 4th century AD.

Many of the monasteries remained unknown to outsiders until the 1930s, when Major Robert Cheesman led a pioneering expedition to visit every island on the lake.  A mapping expedition for which he was awarded the patron's gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society.

For more information about the Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve see http://www.laketana-biosphere.com.

Map of Lake Tana and its Monestaries