Wukro Cherkos


This crooked cruciform sandstone church is semi-monolithic and boasts beautiful cruciform pillars (notice the swirling sandstone laminae), cubical capitals, an outstanding Aksumite frieze and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. In 1958 Haile Selassie himself, apparently, ordered the angular roof squared with concrete for either aesthetic reasons or to protect the church from water seepage (which has severely damaged the geometric ceiling designs), depending on who you ask. It’s on the northern edge of Wukro, making it the most easily accessible church.


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