Golden Rock Lalibela Tours

24/09/2019

I have bought a suit land for hotel investment look at the stunning view from the land

11/09/2019

Do not be afraid to face life.
This New Year has a lot of promises for us.
Trust God and everything will be fine.
Happy New Year!

20/03/2019

Sun rise on the way from Gonder to Lalibela place called "Nifas Mewocha"

07/01/2019

Happy Ethiopian Xmas

02/11/2017

Travelling shouldn't be just a tour, it should be a tale.

06/10/2017

Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening

13/09/2017

At the monastery of Nea'kutoleab

13/09/2017

13/09/2017

Bete Maryam-Lalibela

08/09/2017

The Ethiopian New year (Enkutatash),known as Kidus Yohannes (St,John the Baptist) in memory of the saint and his sacrifice.

28/08/2017

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Psalm 122

09/08/2017

Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.Luke.2:14

31/07/2017

"Oh the places you'll go."

21/07/2017

The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls.
MOTHER TERESA

21/07/2017

Not in tears should we pray,
But in hope, smiling bright,
When the glory of day
Has forgotten the night!

15/07/2017

07/07/2017

27/06/2017

26/06/2017

Priest at house of holy cross -Lalibela

20/09/2016

Meskel (Finding of the True Cross)

Meskel is celebrated by dancing, feasting and lighting a massive bonfire known in Ethiopian tradition as "Damera". Meskel commemorates the finding of the True Cross in the fourth century when Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, discovered the True Cross on which Christ was crucified. The feast is celebrated in Ethiopia on September 17 Ethiopian calendar (September 27 Gregorian calendar), 6 months after the discovery of the True Cross. The celebration of Meskel signifies the presence of the True Cross at mountain of Gishen Mariam monastery and also symbolises the events carried out by Empress Helena.

According to tradition, Empress Helena lit incense and prayed for assistance to guide her. The smoke drifted towards the direction of the buried cross. She dug and found three crosses; one of them was the True Cross used to crucify Jesus Christ. Empress Helena then gave a piece of the True Cross to all churches, including the Ethiopian Church. This piece was then brought to Ethiopia. According to the Ethiopian legend, when people get close to the piece of the True Cross it made them naked by its powerful light. Because of this, a decision was made to bury it at the mountain of Gishen Mariam monastery in Wollo region. The monastery of Gishen Mariam holds a volume of a book which records the story of the True Cross of Christ and how it was acquired.

20/09/2016

One Ethiopian monastery

Debre Damo is magnificent in terms of its location and extensive collection of priceless manuscripts that have remained intact until today. It has become a prominent monastic and educational centre for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Many books have been written there and distributed to churches throughout Ethiopia.

Debre Damo is only accessible by climbing up by a rope, which is made of "plaited leather", lowered from the cliffs, which visitors tie around their waist and are then pulled up by a monk at the top of the cliffs. It is only accessible to men and male animals. Women and even female animals are forbidden to set a foot into the monastery, and must remain under the cliffs and pray from there.

The feast of Saint (Abune) Aregawi is celebrated on October 14 Ethiopian calendar (October 24 Gregorian calendar) which culminates in a pilgrimage to Debre Damo from all over the country.

19/09/2016

Saint Yared was born on Miazia(April) 5, 525 AD in the city of Axum from his father Abyud (Isaac) and his mother Christina (Tawklia).

His parents were born and raised in Aksum. When Saint Yared was seven years old his father died. His mother gave the young Yared to his uncle Gedeon to raise and take care of him. Gedeon was the Gebez (Treaurer) in Aksum. School was hard for Young Yared. He never understood the Psalms of David. Because of his terrible weakness in school, he was confronted with his angry uncle at home and occasional physical punishment. Young Yared tried to learn and understand the teachings of the church for over seven years, but he always failed. He was tired of the anger and punishment and life was becoming difficult for him.

One day, young Yared ran away. He traveled for the entire day and he came to rest under a tree. He was crying and painfully hungry. In the middle of his anger and frustration, young Yared noticed a small insect trying to climb the tree. The insect tried once, it failed. Tried the second time, it failed again. The insect tried to climb the tree six times and it failed. By the seventh time it succeeded to climb the tree and ate the fruits. Young Yared learnt a great wisdom of God through the little insect.

He went back running to his uncle. He apologized for his behavior. He started school the next day. He finished 150 Psalms of David, the books Prophets, and King Solomon including the translations and the laws of the church. Young Yared became a server of Zion-Axum.

At that time, singing loudly was not allowed. One day, three birds came flying toward young Yared. The first bird was Green, the second bird was yellow, the third bird way red in color. [ Exactly the same as the Ethiopian flag]. The birds exemplified the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The birds also exemplify the melodies named as GeeZ - green bird,Izil - yellow bird and Ararai - red bird. As indicated in Genesis Chapter 22, No 28-31, one of the birds said to Young Yared " Yared the Great one, you are holy, the stomach that carries you is holy". Then the birds disappeared.
Young Yared was deeply contemplating about the heavenly Jerusalem. He heard the angles gathered around God and Begna (Ethiopian Harp).Young Yared learnt the heavenly musical praise. He went back to the city of Axum and entered the church of Zion and stood in front of the Ark of the Covenant ( Tabote Tsion). He started praising the lord by singing in GeeZ loudly

Hale luya le-Ab
Hale luya le-wold
Hale luya le- Menfes qidus
kedamiha le-Tsion Semaye sarere
webedagim arayo le-Muse
Ze-Keme yigebir gebra le-debtera

It is translated as:
Praise be to the Father Praise be to the Son Praise be to the Holy Ghost Prior to Zion God created the Heavens God showed Moses the tent

He called this song the rhythm of Aryam (Zema Aryam). Which means a rhythm that came from the angles or the heavens. This rhythm will never be lost until the end of this world. The Gift of God can never be destroyed by man. Civilizations pass but praising of God in heavenl manner would never cease.
Saint Yared thought us the rhythm of Aryam. While from this world, God chose Saint Yared to hear and learn the songs of the angles in the heavens. He heard something extraordinary, a song for the heart and the soul. He was amazed and mesmerized by that sound from the heavens. He expressed his admiration by singing
Wai Zema ze-sema-Eiku
be-semaiy I-melaIkt qidusan Inze Yiblu
Qidus Qidus Qidus IgeeziAbher
MeliA Semayate We-Medre
Qidisate Sibhatike

This translates as

The Holy of Holy our Lord I heard the angles singing "Your praises saying, Holy Holy o Holy-
a parise that filled the Earth and the Heavens
" What a song it is
What a rhythm it is
What depth it has

Saint Yared served and praised lord. He died on Gunboat (May) 11, 571 AD
God told us to praise him as do the angles following the example of saint Yared. The rhythm and the songs are always new. They never get old. The word Aryam translates as "above all". We can find the word Aryam in several places in the bible. The angles sang "praise be God BeAryam", when Jesus was born from Saint Mary. When Jesus came to Jerusalem on an Ass, the people sang "Hosanna BeAryam".

Saint Yared Musical Notation

Deret: represents the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ
Difat: Jesus came to this world
Zu: Jesus thought us
Qurt: Jesus decided/promised to save Adam from death
Yezet: Jesus was caught and beaten by the Jews
Qinat: Judah has given up Jesus to the Jews
Chiret: Jesus Christ was beaten
Hidet: Jesus was take to Hanna and to Pilatos
Rikrik: JesusRis: The prophesy told by David was realized on Friday.

14/09/2016

E N Q U T A T A S H

14/09/2016

The Ethiopian New Year is characterized by the end of the long rainy season, a bright sky and a dazzling sunlight. The countryside turns into gold with the yellow daisies (adey abeba) covering the entire fields in rural areas of Ethiopia, which are in bloom at this time of the year.The celebration of the Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash, meaning the "Gift of Jewels” is believed to be celebrated since the time of the Queen of Sheba. During her visit to King Solomon of Israel in Jerusalem, the Queen had gifted the King with 120 talents of gold (4.5 tons) as well as a large amount of unique spices and jewels, as mentioned in the Bible.

When the Queen returned to Ethiopia her chiefs welcomed her with precious jewels to replenish her treasury. Enkutatash has been celebrated since then.

Lighting bonfire on the eve of the New Year is also part of the celebration. Male members of the family light a bonfire made of branches and leaves of trees to say good bye to the concluding year and wishing for a brighter year, peace and prosperity for the family and the country as a whole.

The Ethiopian calendar is derived from the Alexandrian or Coptic calendar. Like the Julian calendar, it adds a leap day every four years without exception.

The Ethiopian calendar has twelve months of 30 days plus five or six epagomenal days, which comprise a thirteenth month. The sixth epagomenal day is added every four years.

07/09/2016

King Lalibela was one of the most prominent rulers of Ethiopia’s Zagwe Dynasty who reigned in the 12th century. He is the ruler

credited with the construction of the world-famous rock-hewn ancient Churches in the town of Lalibela in northern Ethiopia. In fact, the town, previously known as Roha, was named after king Lalibela himself upon his death. According to an Ethiopian legend, God instructed king Lalibela to build the unique churches that have been a collective centre of pilgrimage over the centuries. This legend also states that the churches of Lalibela were built with the help of angles. The design of the churches is quite unique: they are carved out of a single piece of granite below ground level, are massive (several are in excess of 10 meters high); and they are connected to each other by a tangled maze of tunnels. Yet they are also different, in size and style, from one another.