Architecture
E.S
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church relies on many biblical influences and symbolic interpretations for the choices made in order to construct their churches (Tadesse, 2010).
Symbolic Influences for Church Construction
Church sites are preferred to be in hilly areas (Tadesse, 2010). Influences for this vary from Jesus preaching on mountains, to historically having traditional rituals performed on the top of mountains. Some other common practices are the use of inscripted foundation stones, which symbolize seeds, as well as the use of plaques. These plaques are attached to the churches at their inaugurations. The biblical ties to this is through the Old Testament, where a war between the Israelites and Palestinians ended with an inscripted stone being placed after Israel’s victory.
Architecture Style There are three main architectural styles of church constructions: basilica, rectangular, and round church buildings.
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Distinctive Features Clergy, lay men and women all need to use separate entrances. These entrances are made from different directions to represent different things (Tadesse, 2010).
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Division of the Church Buildings
Most Ethiopian Orthodox Churches are partitioned into three different sections, and have varying degrees of Sacredness (Berry & Smith, 1979). The three are called Qenie-Mahilet, Kiddest, and the Makdas. The Qenie-Mahilet is the outermost section of round churches, or the most Western corner of the rectangular church buildings and is available for everyone. This space is used by church singers. The Kiddest is the middle part of the churches, and is where Holy Communion is served. The Makdas is the most inner section of the round church buildings, or the most Eastern section of the rectangular buildings. The floor is often raised to show its sacredness, and only priests and deacons are able to access it (Tadesse, 2010).
Ethiopian Churches in North America
Interior spaces of Ethiopian Orthodox Churches in North America resembles a more modern model developed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital (Heldman, 2006).
References
Berry, & Smith, R. (1979). CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES OF LAKE TANA,
ETHIOPIA, 1972. Africa: Rivista Trimestrale Di Studi E Documentazione Dell’Istituto Italiano per L’Africa E L’Oriente, 34(1/2), 1-34. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40759150
Heldman, M. E. (2006). Creating Sacred Space: Orthodox Churches of the Ethiopian American
Diaspora. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, 15(2/3), 285–302. https://doi.org/10.1353/dsp.2011.0078
Pankhurst, S. (2014). Ethiopia: A cultural history. Los Angeles, CA: Tsehai.
Salvo, M. D., & Chojnacki, S. (1999). Churches of Ethiopia: The monastery of Nārgā Śellāsē. Milano: Skira.
Tadesse, B. (2010). A guide to the intangible treasures of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church: Historic perspectives and symbolic interpretations of the festivals. Addis Ababa: Kalu Printing Press
Image Links:
https://live.staticflickr.com/4637/39183801382_ae3bdfa932_b.jpg
http://www.ethiosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/St-Mary-Toronto.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/78/e6/30/78e630d208d121c259ade9eccd21469e.jpg
ETHIOPIA, 1972. Africa: Rivista Trimestrale Di Studi E Documentazione Dell’Istituto Italiano per L’Africa E L’Oriente, 34(1/2), 1-34. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40759150
Heldman, M. E. (2006). Creating Sacred Space: Orthodox Churches of the Ethiopian American
Diaspora. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, 15(2/3), 285–302. https://doi.org/10.1353/dsp.2011.0078
Pankhurst, S. (2014). Ethiopia: A cultural history. Los Angeles, CA: Tsehai.
Salvo, M. D., & Chojnacki, S. (1999). Churches of Ethiopia: The monastery of Nārgā Śellāsē. Milano: Skira.
Tadesse, B. (2010). A guide to the intangible treasures of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church: Historic perspectives and symbolic interpretations of the festivals. Addis Ababa: Kalu Printing Press
Image Links:
https://live.staticflickr.com/4637/39183801382_ae3bdfa932_b.jpg
http://www.ethiosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/St-Mary-Toronto.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/78/e6/30/78e630d208d121c259ade9eccd21469e.jpg
Photo used under Creative Commons from fusion-of-horizons