The Debre Birhane Sillassie church, founded by Iyasu I in the 1690s and the only Gondarine church that escaped entirely unscathed from the Madadist war when the Dervish of Sudan attacked Gondar at the end of the 19th century. This is one of the most beautiful churches in Ethiopia. The sides of the walls of the church are completely covered with paintings showing various scenes. The southern wall concentrates on the life of Jesus Christ, while the northern wall depicts various saints. The much-photographed ceiling, decorated with paintings of 80 angelic faces, is probably the most famous single example of ecclesiastical art in Ethiopia. The paintings are traditionally believed to be the work of the 17th-century artist Aba Haile Meskel Woldu. The church lies about 1 km to the northeast of the castle.
