Ethiopian Monastery

Jerusalem


Sequestered on the rooftop of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this monastery houses a few monks from the Church of Ethiopia who live among the ruins of a medieval cloister erected by the Crusaders. The cupola in the middle of the roof section admits light to St Helena’s crypt below. A door in the southeastern corner leads through a chapel and downstairs to the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre itself.

Around the cloister walls are paintings of Ethiopian saints, the Holy Family and the Queen of Sheba during her visit to Jerusalem. Ethiopian legend tells that it was during this visit that the Queen of Sheba, together with King Solomon, produced heirs to both royal houses, one of whom brought the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia.

The monastery is actually within the Coptic Patriarchate. When the Church of Ethiopia became a self-governing organisation in the early 20th century (previously, it was part of the Coptic Church), its monks were kicked out of the Coptic monastery and moved into huts here on the rooftop.

The monastery is reached via a staircase from Souq Khan Al Zeit St (look for a juice stand and the ramshackle entrance to famous pastry shop Zalatimo). As you walk up the stairs, you will see the patriarchate chapel straight in front of you and an entrance to a cistern on the right. The monastery is to the left.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Jerusalem attractions

1. 9th Station, Via Dolorosa

0.01 MILES

From Souq Khan Al Zeit St, south of the Via Dolorosa, a stairway to the right (west) leads to a path looping around to a Coptic church. The remains of a…

2. 8th Station, Via Dolorosa

0.02 MILES

A short distance up Aqabat Al Khanqah St from Souq Khan Al Zeit St, embedded in the stone wall on the left and marked with a red sign, is the stone and…

3. Church of the Holy Sepulchre

0.04 MILES

Four magnificent arches, their lintels richly decorated with Crusader crosses, herald the entrance to one of Christianity's most sacred sites. The church…

4. 7th Station, Via Dolorosa

0.04 MILES

Near bustling Souq Khan Al Zeit St is the 7th Station, where it is believed Jesus fell for the second time. The station is a small chapel marked by signs…

5. 6th Station, Via Dolorosa

0.07 MILES

West of Al Wad St along the western stretch of Via Dolorosa is the 6th Station, marked by a brown wooden door on the left (south) and a carving on the…

6. Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

0.08 MILES

The square bell tower of this Protestant church, the second built in Jerusalem, has ornamented the Old City's skyline since 1898. The Church of the…

7. Palace of the Lady Tunshuq

0.08 MILES

Halfway down Aqabat Al Takiya is this noblewoman's palace built in 1388. Though the facade is badly eroded, the uppermost of the three large doorways…

8. Mauristan

0.09 MILES

The Mauristan, a Persian word meaning 'hospital' or 'hospice', has a 19th-century fountain at its centre and leads to two souqs (one full of butcher shops…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "jerusalem/old-city/attractions/ethiopian-monastery/a/poi-sig/1030624/1342523",
      "destination": "Jerusalem",
      "continent": "Middle-East",
      "city": "Jerusalem",
      "position": "superzone"
    }