Not far from Gondar lies the Debre Berhan Selassie monastery, which is decorated with beautiful and unique wall paintings from 1694. Debre Berhan Selassie translates as "Monastery of the Trinity on the Mountain of Light" and was founded by Emperor Iyasu around 1700. It is impressive and surprising at the same time how extensively the paintings are in the anteroom accessible to visitors.
Winged angel heads even look down on visitors from the wooden monastery ceiling. The famous ceiling paintings and wall paintings are among the most precious in Ethiopian iconography.
The life of Christ and Mary is presented in great detail on the side walls. Furthermore, all kinds of saints such as Saint Michael or George with the dragon are depicted. The walls are filled with scenes from the New and Old Testaments. Inside the monastery, everything is completely painted, so that there is not a single empty space on the walls. Debre Berhan Selassie is probably the most beautiful monastery church in Gondar. As the only place of worship that survived the invasion of the dervishes, this jewel has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.