This monastery is located 110 km from Addis Ababa and was first founded in 1284 by Abuna Teklhaimanot. The present name Debre Libanos was given by Zara Yaqob in 1445. This monastery retained its political significance until the Italian second time occupation and used as a shelter for many pilgrimage of Orthodox Christian.

This monastery was reconstituted again and many officials and famous people till the second round invasion of the fascist Italia were buried there. The modern church was built in the 1950 by Emperor Haile Selassie to replace the one which was destroyed by the fascist Italian during their occupation on 20 May 1937. Griaziani, who was the chief of the Italy very equipped troop, commanded the execution of 297 monks of the monastery and 100 of them were young deacons