3-021-087 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Church and shrine of St. Romanus, Barra-Kat, near Senafe, 1868. View of '...one of the most ancient and sacred shrines of Abyssinia - namely, the place where repose the bones of St. Romanus and a hundred other martyrs whom he converted to Christianity... It is situated about ten miles southwest of the present advanced British camp of Senafe, at a village called Barra-kat...The entrance, a small door on the left, leads into a cave, at the further end of which are two steps cut out of solid rock. On ascending these is seen, at the level of the eye of the spectator, an aperture through which one looks to a vast vault beyond. This is the sepulchre; and here, extended on a rude table of rock, lie the sacred bones of Romanus and the others. The skeleton of Romanus from the neck to the hips, is covered with a dilapidated veil. It is difficult to understand how the bodies could have been introduced. All the entrance, with the exception of the sight-hole above mentioned, is now built up. The other double doorway is the entrance to the church dedicated to the saint, and contains some fine specimens of Byzantine carving in wood...The village is very picturesquely situated on the slope of a range of hills'. From "Illustrated London News", 1868.