Mount Entoto, the highest peak (3,200m) overlooking the city of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is a historical place where Emperor Menelik II resided and built his palace, when he came from Ankober and founded Addis Ababa. It is considered a sacred mountain and has many monasteries, being also the location of a number of celebrated churches, including Saint Raguel and Saint Mary.
Often overlooked but one of the more interesting churches in Ethiopia, the Church of Saint Raguel (or Holy Raguel or Kiddus Raguel) existed for several hundred years, the first services being held in a nearby cave. The church itself was the first modern church built in Addis Abeba, and now serves as a local house of worship. Paintings inside the church provide a wondrous Ethiopian perspective on the Scripture.
As with most Ethiopian churches' architecture, the building is octagon-shaped: women sit on one side, men on the other. Its original aluminium shingle roof lies stacked in the back of the compound, replaced by a corrugated metal roof, courtesy of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Not far is the Anwar Mosque, the proximity of the mosque and the church symbolising the long peaceful relations between Christianity and Islam in Ethiopia.
About the stamp
The stamp, depicting Debre Berhan Selassie Church, was issued in 2014.
References
Above Addis Ababa, St. Raguel Church Offers Lessons on Ethiopian Religious Life - GreenGoPost
Addis Abeba’s Little Known St. Raguel Rock Hewn Church - Addis Fortune
Sender: Adam Wole (direct swap)
Sent from Addis Ababa (Addis Ababa / Ethiopia), on 30.11.2015
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