Kidana Maharet

The ‘Neviim’ street in Jerusalem is a main traffic route which connects the different parts of the city; the secular to the religious, the eastern to the western, the Old city to the modern one.
During the day it is a bustling, noisy street – the cars are passing, the busses stopping; the tractors are building the skyscrapers. Out of this chaos you can take the right to the tiny back street, named Ethiopia. A short walk down the street will take you to a pure and magical place, Kidana Maharat, the Ethiopian Church.
Through the entire day I was waiting for my share of peace in the church. There, just around the corner, in a one minute walk it was standing in its glory. Distinct from other houses in its round shape structure and a star like towering Ethiopian cross of the dome.

The sounds of the prayer were like a tranquilizer for me.
I knew exactly when the light is penetrating the entrance and from which window. The light beams pierced the incense smoke of the vespers and transformed the space into a magic. The mumbling of the chief priest was a pleasant melody emerging out of silence.
I sailed into other worlds.