Zege peninsula

Zege Peninsula is located on the southern shore of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, and is situated at (11° 40’ to 11° 43’ N and 37 °19’ to 37 °21’ E). It is 600 km northwest of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia, and is the source of the Blue Nile river. Zege peninsula is attached to dry land on its western part. As a place name, the word "zege" signifies a peninsula that encloses two rural qebele, the former monastery and Zägé town at the gate of the main land of the peninsula. At present, Zegé is part of Bahir Dar city administration, and is 32 km from the main town, the capital of Amhara National Regional State. The origin of the term "zegié" is somewhat obscure. Informants from Ura Kidane miheret monastic church, one of the earliest church in the peninsula associated the term to Debra Zegag and Abba Nahom; where as some monks who were servants of Mähal Zegié Giyorgis attributed the term to Zengie (my shaft) and to Abun Betre Maryam, founder of Zegie monastery. Still another church scholar, Aleqa Aynakulu Mersha, related the term to a name of a tribe called Zegie (Aleqa Aynekulu) 1955 E.C:466; Tadese Tamrat, 1994:954-959). On the peninsula of Zege there are six Monastic churches, all established between the 14th and 17th centuries.

A heart shaped Lake and source of Blue Nile Lake Tana is situated in North western Ethiopia in the area between Gonder and Gojjam, to the north of Bahir Dar. It is the largest lake in the country, at 3600 square kilometers. Lake Tana has about 37 islands and hosts about 30 ancient and historic monasteries endowed with precious heritages and ancient books as well as documents. Sources traced the foundation of many of its monasteries back to the 14th century, out of the thirty monastic churches on the islands. On the land around Lake Tana, seven churches were founded in zege peninsula occupies a large land mass pushes the lake from the west in an easterly direction. Among the monasteries of zeghie, mahal zeghie georgies and betre Mariam is believed to be the earliest. It is the earliest monastery in zeghie, because in the hagiography of betre Mariam it is stated the other six churches were established long after the foundation of mehal zege giyorgies. The history of the monasteries of lake and its surroundings is associated with the seven stars the term "seven stars" refers to the saints who were pioneers it the evangelization of the lake tana region. Thus the Abune Betre Mariam, who was one of the "seven stars", founded Mehal zege Giyorgies in 1264 E.C(13th C). Many monasteries on this peninsula have a steeple-like structure on the roof; this steeple consists of seven ostrich eggs, which signify the seven stars or seven saints mentioned previously.

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