▁in ▁z eg h ie , ▁because ▁in ▁the ▁h agi ography ▁of ▁betre ▁Mar iam ▁it ▁is ▁stated ▁the ▁other ▁six ▁churches ▁were ▁established ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁me hal ▁z ege ▁gi y org ies . ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁monaster ies ▁of ▁lake ▁and ▁its ▁surr ound ings ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁seven ▁stars ▁the ▁term ▁" se ven ▁stars " ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁sain ts ▁who ▁were ▁pione ers ▁it ▁the ▁evangel ization ▁of ▁the ▁lake ▁t ana ▁region . ▁Thus ▁the ▁Ab une ▁Bet re ▁Mar iam , ▁who ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁" se ven ▁stars ", ▁founded ▁Me hal ▁z ege ▁Gi y org ies ▁in ▁ 1 2 6 4 ▁E . C ( 1 3 th ▁C ). ▁Many ▁monaster ies ▁on ▁this ▁pen ins ula ▁have ▁a ▁ste e ple - like ▁structure ▁on ▁the ▁roof ; ▁this ▁ste e ple ▁consists ▁of ▁seven ▁o str ich ▁eggs , ▁which ▁sign ify ▁the ▁seven ▁stars ▁or ▁seven ▁sain ts ▁mentioned ▁previously . ▁ ▁Mon aster ies ▁on ▁the ▁T ana ▁islands ▁ ▁Deb re ▁Mary am ▁The ▁monaster y ▁of ▁Deb re ▁Mary am ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁newer ▁monaster ies ▁of ▁Lake ▁T ana , ▁having ▁been ▁built ▁by ▁Emperor ▁T ew od ros ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁A ▁friendly ▁priest ▁wel comes ▁all ▁visitors ▁and ▁is ▁happy ▁to ▁show ▁you ▁the ▁ancient ▁manuscript s ▁stored ▁there . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁accessed ▁by ▁boat ▁and ▁a ▁short