Mifsas Bahri

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Mifsas Bahri 12°34′37″N 39°28′49″E / 12.57694°N 39.48028°E / 12.57694; 39.48028 is an archaeological site in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

The stone building at Mifsas Bahri viewed toward the north

This highland site contains the ruin of a substantial building constructed of dressed stone which may date as early as the Aksumite period. Lying 200 m west of the shore of Lake Hashinge, the site came to the attention of antiquities authorities in 1997 as a result of alleged exploitation of its building stone on the part of the local population. In 2013 a group from Mekelle University began to investigate the site. Curiously, the site lies 100 km south of the next site attributeable to the Aksumite cultural assemblage (Wuqro). The building at Mifsas Bahri is considered to be a church, to judge from the orientation, building excellence and architectural sculpture. Historical reconstruction andLocal tradition has it that it was destroyed in the 1540s by the mixed forces of Aḥmad ibn Ibrahīm al-Ġazī. Excavation confirmed the presence of a monumental stone building some 40 m x 40 m in surface area. According to local sources the church was named Gebre Menfes Kidus.

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