Global InformationGishen Debre Kerbe information
ግሸን ደብረ ከርቤ | |
 Mountain Amba Geshen | |
  Location within Ethiopia | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Denomination | Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church |
| Established | 5th century |
| Dedicated to | True Cross |
| Controlled churches |
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| People | |
| Founder(s) | Kaleb |
| Important associated figures |
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| Site | |
| Location | Ambassel, South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Coordinates | 11°31′14″N 39°21′38″E / 11.520433°N 39.360672°E |
| Public access | Yes |
Gishen Debre Kerbe (Ge'ez: ግሸን ደብረ ከርቤ), also simply known as Debre Kerbe or Debre Gishen, is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church monastery located in Ambassel woreda, in South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 483 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. It was founded by Aksumite king Kaleb in the 5th century with the auspice of Nine Saints from Byzantine Empire.
According to tradition, Gishen Debre Kerbe was one of the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches to receive piece of True Cross transported through Saint Helena of Constantinople, through which Meskel festival is the basis festivity of the church. According to some manuscripts of Ethiopian Orthodox, the piece of True Cross was brought by Emperor Zara Yaqob with whom Jesus crucified to "Gishen Amba" and buried under the church of God. The church is known for receiving mass pilgrimages per year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010, the monastery received 350,000–500,000 pilgrims and tourists per each year.