Discover ancient mysteries of the church in Ethiopia

Nestled in the heart of the high stone tower upright in Gheralta plateau in the north of Ethiopia's ancient church history from thousands of years ago, but few people know about.

Plateau is located in the province of Tigray Gheralta 30 old stone church. Although, people here circulated that this church was built in the 4th century to the 6th century, but scientists argue that they are completed in the period from the 9th century to the 12th century.

- Located in high and sight, the church was built on the plateau for the purpose of "bringing believers closer to heaven and can spy on the army to move down in the valley".

- So, to admire the unique church here, visitors must walk in the narrow canyon, climb the vertical cliffs extremely dangerous.

It can be said tourism exploring here is not for the faint of heart. Local officials warned, if you want to go and visit this area, visitors should find a guide who is knowledgeable local topography, history, culture and language. Here, let along two reporters Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll BBC's explore three of the more than 30 unique ancient stone church in Gheralta plateau.

Maryam Korkor, the church has a history of over 1,000 years old, is one of the church by the architecture of ancient Ethiopian Orthodox remaining today. This architectural style is also known as semi-monolithic architecture, which means that people carved directly into a monolith, never use a different material for the construction of the church

Maryam church is located at a height of 6m Korkor on a sandstone mountain. The façade of the church slightly and 17m wide, deep inside mosques and 9m wide, all perfectly carved in lava of the mountain.

Inside this unique church with a cross-shaped stone pillars and arches its 6m high is decorated with exquisite frescoes painted using natural colors. Although legend has it that the painting dates from the 13th century, but the researchers assert, to the 17th century they appear due to a number of images related to the Byzantine Empire.

The second is the church where Daniel Korkor, how Maryam Korkor 300m on the left. To reach Daniel Korkor, visitors must travel along a dangerous path, one side is the steep cliff, the other side is the abyss.

Daniel Korkor church has the same architecture with Maryam Korkor but there are two separate rooms. On the ceiling and around the walls of the church are decorated with simple drawings than other churches in the highlands Gheralta.

Look after two churches above the 78-year-old professor, he Aba Tesfa Silassie, who live in this remote mountainous region during the past 63 years.

Where the last two reporters discover Guh church Abuna Yemata. In order to get this place, reporters should look to the help of the locals. They climbed up the cliff and looked down instructions from there or pull up with reporters. Overcoming add a natural stone bridge and an old wooden bridge, the reporter reached Guh church Abuna Yemata.

Inside this church is quite dark, the reporters take up to ten minutes for the eyes to become acquainted with the dark, then they can see the frescoes on the ceiling of the church. Like other churches in this plateau, the picture in Abuna Yemata Guh relatively well preserved, in part because of the difficult terrain here.