I recently started to read the Futuh Al Habasha and i must say it has some interesting parts in it. I stumbled upon a chapter where they talked about a church(Mekane Selassie) in Ethiopia made solely out of gold and silver and that impressed Ottomans, Arabs and the Imam and that couldn't be found anywhere else in the world. The construction of Mekane Selassie ((The abode of the Trinity) was begun by Emperor Naod (1494-1508) and completed by his son Emperor Libna Dengel. The building measured 150 feet by 150 feet while the height was 200 feet. It was made solely out of gold excepts for the foundation and its door. The church hosted a replica of the ark of the covenant which most Ethiopian churches did at that time as to confuse any potential thief of the whereabout of the real ark. Sources say that it took the Imam and his companions 29 days to loot this church of all its gold and treasures.
Heres a description of the destruction of Mekane Selassie by an Arab chronicler (translated into English)
"The imam went to Makana Selasse, pausing with his force at its wall, and the imam, in amazement, entered it. His close friends entered with him. When he saw it, he was almost blinded by its dazzling brilliance. The church was embellished with gold and silver plates, encrusted with pearls. The door panels were made of wood [4.6 meters] long and [1.8 meters] wide. They had covered the top of it with embellishments of gold and silver, and above the gold there were precious stones of many colours. The church was [45.72 meters] long and its width was the same. The height of the topmost point was [68.6 meters]. Its ceiling and its courtyards were covered in plates of gold, and with images of gold.
They were stupified by the worksmanship. The Muslims who had not entered it, yelled out to the imam saying, 'Open the door so that we can enter it, and take some pleasure in looking at it.' So he opened the door to them, and the Muslims swarmed in. The imam said, 'Whatever anyone takes shall be his part, apart from the plates.' So they set to work with a thousand axes, ripping out the gold and the precious stones which were in the church, from the time of the afternoon prayer, until the time of the evening prayer. Each took as much gold as he could carry. They enriched themselves with so much booty that they would never more be in want. More than a third of its gold was burnt in the church. The imam spent the night close by the church.
The storyteller, may the Most High God have mercy upon him, says: The imam asked all the Arabs who were with him, 'Is there the like of this church, with its images of gold, in Byzantium or India, or in any other place?' They replied, 'We never saw or heard of its like in Byzantium or India or anywhere in the world.'"
Heres a description of the destruction of Mekane Selassie by an Arab chronicler (translated into English)
"The imam went to Makana Selasse, pausing with his force at its wall, and the imam, in amazement, entered it. His close friends entered with him. When he saw it, he was almost blinded by its dazzling brilliance. The church was embellished with gold and silver plates, encrusted with pearls. The door panels were made of wood [4.6 meters] long and [1.8 meters] wide. They had covered the top of it with embellishments of gold and silver, and above the gold there were precious stones of many colours. The church was [45.72 meters] long and its width was the same. The height of the topmost point was [68.6 meters]. Its ceiling and its courtyards were covered in plates of gold, and with images of gold.
They were stupified by the worksmanship. The Muslims who had not entered it, yelled out to the imam saying, 'Open the door so that we can enter it, and take some pleasure in looking at it.' So he opened the door to them, and the Muslims swarmed in. The imam said, 'Whatever anyone takes shall be his part, apart from the plates.' So they set to work with a thousand axes, ripping out the gold and the precious stones which were in the church, from the time of the afternoon prayer, until the time of the evening prayer. Each took as much gold as he could carry. They enriched themselves with so much booty that they would never more be in want. More than a third of its gold was burnt in the church. The imam spent the night close by the church.
The storyteller, may the Most High God have mercy upon him, says: The imam asked all the Arabs who were with him, 'Is there the like of this church, with its images of gold, in Byzantium or India, or in any other place?' They replied, 'We never saw or heard of its like in Byzantium or India or anywhere in the world.'"
