The historic Ziquala Monastery near the southern Ethiopian town of Debre Zeit is engulfed with fire, Deacon Daniel Kibre reported from Addis Ababa. The monastery is located 27 km south west of Debre Zeit. [read the report in Amharic here]
Ziquala Monastery was founded by Abune Gebremenfeskidus in 1168 (Ethiopian calendar) on the Ziquala Mountain. In late 1800s, Emperor Menilik expanded the monastery by building a new church.
(Wikipedia) — Ziquala Monastery was destroyed, and a church at the foot of the mountain looted, by Imam Ahmad Gragn in 1531; two churches were later built at the monastery, one dedicated to St Gebre Menfas built by Menelik II in 1880 and designed by the Italian Sebastian Castagna, and the other dedicated to Kidane Mihret built during the reign of Haile Selassie.[1] Various other holy sites are found around the mountain, mostly rock formations, while the monastery is the site of a biannual festival.