Debre Work

History

An early mention of Debre Werq is during the reign of 1559 when, according to explorer Richard Francis Burton, the emperor Mar Gelawdewos had been supervising its restoration. Around 1620, the Tulema Oromo were said to have devastated Gojjam as far as Debre Werq. Its next mention is in 1684, in an itinerary of Emperor Iyasu I. Cardinal Guglielmo Massaia met with Ras Ali II here in the mid-19th century, describing the town as sitting on a round hill with the church at its summit; the town encircling the church almost extended down to the base of the hill. A debtera, who was head of the church, also appeared to be the civil head of the town. Paul B. Henze describes visiting the church at Debre Werq in the early 1970s, an event which included finding the church being rebuilt from the foundations, and an unpleasant encounter with a monk over wanting to view the church's collection of manuscripts.