THE CHURCH OF ARBAETU ENSESSA

[africangear]

At the south-western border of Maryam Tsion's outer compound Is the church of Arbaetu Ensessa — the Four Animals of the Apocalypse, also popularly known as the women's church. The site is marked by the presence of a beautiful bell tower to the left of the main entrance. The church is rectangular in plan and has the same east-west orientation as the old and new cathedrals. It was build during the beginning of the 1960s in an effort to ''modernize" the pre-existent old circular church. The latter was built, according to tradition, by a nephew of Emperor Fasiledes, Adiam Seged Eyassu. Remnants of ancient architecture are still preserved in the church, whose name features already in the Book of Aksum and which archaeologists include In the list of the monuments belonging to Aksumite culture (ca. 15013C — 700AD). Part of the ancient podium still exists, as well as the approximately 7m long 6-step stairway on the western side, opposite the main gate. Following the Tigrayan tradition of the religious architecture, the church interior is divided into three concentric sections. Access to the outer one is through the door on the northern side of the building near the north-western corner. The first section runs all around the Keddest, which contains the Mekdes, the sancta sanctorum accessible only to priests. The sections are decorated with paintings on canvas and on the walls, most of them made in recent years. They include the image of St. George killing the dragon, the Virgin with Child, and an angel vertically set on the wall beside the door leading to the central section; Abraham and Isaac, on the central and right metal window panels above the door on the western wall of the central section; the Nine Saints, on the ceiling of the central section; the damned burning in hell, expressively painted on the central side of the central section's southern wall; and the interesting scenes recently painted on the southern wall of the outer section. Beneath the sanctuary and not accessible to visitors are two Aksumite shaft tombs. A number of Aksumite carved stones are preserved In the churchyard.

Arbaetu Ensesa Church in Aksum