在当时的欧洲流传着一个传说，在遥远的东方有一个基督教王国，其君主称为Prester John；因此许多欧洲探险队争相出发寻找这个传说中的国家。1490年左右，一个葡萄牙探险家Pedro de Covilham抵达了埃塞俄比亚，并认为这就是那传说中的基督教国家。
1507年，一个叫马修的亚美尼亚人被埃塞俄比亚皇帝派到葡萄牙并请求葡萄牙国王的出兵以对抗穆斯林。1520年一个葡萄牙舰队，其中搭载有马修，进入了红海达成了这个任务；其中一个从舰队来的使者团并拜访了皇帝Lebna Dengel。使者团在埃塞俄比亚待了6年，其中一个使者Francisco Alvarez神父，写了一个至今最早有关这个国家的详细记录。
1528年到1540年，由Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi领导的穆斯林军队侵扰了整个国家，皇帝再度要求葡萄牙的协助。1541年2 月由Christovão da Gama率领的葡萄牙舰队由印度抵达，7月da Gama率领了400名火枪兵进入了内陆，一开始他们与当时军队合作成功的对抗了敌军，但在1542年8月打了败仗，指挥官被俘并被处决；不过Ahmad 在1543年2月也被杀，穆斯林势力也被逐出。之后，皇帝和葡萄牙人的不和开始浮现，他们要求皇帝皈依罗马，但被拒绝。
Towards the close of the 15th century the Portuguese missions into Ethiopia began. A belief had long prevailed in Europe of the existence of a Christian kingdom in the far east, whose monarch was known as Prester John, and various expeditions had been sent in quest of it. Among others engaged in this search was Pêro da Covilhã, who arrived in Ethiopia in 1490, and, believing that he had at length reached the far-famed kingdom, presented to the nəgusä nägäst of the country, a letter from his master the king of Portugal, addressed to Prester John.
Pêro da Covilhã remained in the country, but in 1507 an Armenian named Matthew was sent by the Emperor to the king of Portugal to request his aid against the Muslims. In 1520 a Portuguese fleet, with Matthew on board, entered the Red Sea in compliance with this request, and an embassy from the fleet visited the Emperor, Lebna Dengel, and remained in Ethiopia for about six years. One of this embassy was Father Francisco Álvares, who wrote one of the earliest and not the least interesting account of the country.