The Results of New Research in the Tigray Region, Ethiopia: Three Rock-hewn Churches of Kola Tembien as Historical Sources

Abstract

The article is devoted to the results of research focused on three rock-hewn churches, which are not well-represented in literature, in Kola Tembien of the Tigray region in Ethiopia. Fieldwork was carried out with the financial support of the Russian foundation for Basic Research. Trips to the site were conducted in the autumn of 2019 and 2020. The problems of dating and typology is the focus of this research. In the article, three churches are described — Mikaʼel ʽAddi Kawa, Abunä Fäqadä Amlak in ʽAdi Śərä and Maryam Degol Chako. Special reference is made to the architectural ties of these three monuments with others of the region in order to reveal the possible mutual influence of architectural constructions and some decorative elements. Information on these churches has not been published since the time of cooperative research by Ruth Plant and David Buxton in the 1970s. Particular attention in the article is paid to the churches Abunä Fäqadä Amlak inʽAdi Śərä and Maryam Degol Chako as they have very rich paintings on canvas dating from the middle of the XX century. These paintings are valuable not only as art objects of Christian Ethiopia, but also as important sources of the cultural and political history of Tigray. Unfortunately, the preservation of these paintings in the studied churches raises concerns. The article presents new authentic material on the described churches. Photographs of the interiors are published for the first time. In addition, on the basis of the iconographic and architectural analysis, a number of hypotheses by the author are presented for further discussion and verification. It is worth noting the possibility of reconstructing the previous basilica rock-hewn churches into centric structures by building the interior the walls.