Tigray Region, Administrative region in northern Ethiopia
Tigray is an administrative territory in northern Ethiopia that stretches across highlands, valleys, and mountain chains to the border with Eritrea and the Amhara Region. The capital Mekelle sits at the center, surrounded by rocky hills and farmed plains.
The area was the center of the Aksumite Empire from the 1st to the 10th century, linked by trade routes to the Mediterranean and Asia. During the Middle Ages many rock-hewn churches were carved here and survive to this day.
The Tigrinya language connects people here through market days, church festivals, and communal celebrations that follow the Orthodox calendar. On Sundays the churches fill, and ancient chants echo through the courtyards and streets of the villages.
Mekelle is the starting point for travel across the area and offers lodging, bus connections, and fuel stations for trips to surrounding towns. Many churches in the mountains require longer walks or drives on unpaved roads.
Some rock churches here sit so hidden in cliffs that they can be reached only by narrow trails or with ropes. Some priests live permanently beside these sanctuaries and receive visitors by arrangement.
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