The small town of Lalibelais located in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, some 700kms from Addis Ababaand it is home to one of the world’s most astounding sacred sites: eleven rock-hewn churches, each carved entirely out of a single block of granite with its roof at ground level.Their building is attributed to King Lalibela who set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New Jerusalem’, after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the holy Land. Lalibela flourished after the decline of the Aksum Empire.There are two main groups of churches – to the north of the river Jordan: BieteMedhani Alem (House of the Saviour of the World), Biete Mariam (House of Mary), Biete Maskal (House of the Cross), BieteDenagel (House of Virgins), Biete Golgotha Mikael (House of Golgotha Mikael); and to the south of the river, BieteAmanuel (House of Emmanuel), BieteQeddusMercoreus (House of St. Mercoreos), Biete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot LibanosBiete Gabriel Raphael (House of Gabriel Raphael), and BieteLehem (House of Holy Bread). The eleventh church, BieteGhiorgis (House of St. George), is isolated from the others, but connected by a system of trenches.
The churches were not constructed in a traditional way but rather were hewn from the living rock of monolithic blocks. These blocks were further chiselled out, forming doors, windows, columns, various floors, roofs etc. This gigantic work was further completed with an extensive system of drainage ditches, trenches and ceremonial passages, some with openings to hermit caves and catacombs. Bete Medhanialem or House of the Holy Savior, with its five aisles, is believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world, while BieteGhiorgis has a remarkable cruciform plan. Most were probably used as churches from the outset, but BieteMercoreos and Biete Gabriel Rafael may formerly have been royal residences. Several of the interiors are decorated with mural paintings.Near the churches, the village of Lalibela has two storey round houses, constructed of local red stone, and known as the Lasta Tukuls. These exceptional churches have been the focus of pilgrimage for Coptic Christians since the 12th century.All the eleven churches represent a unique artistic achievement, in their execution, size and the variety and boldness of their form.
The King of Lalibela set out to build a symbol of the holy land, when pilgrimages to it were rendered impossible by the historical situation. In the Church of Biet Golgotha, are replicas of the tomb of Christ, and of Adam, and the crib of the Nativity The holy city of Lalibela became a substitute for the holy places of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and as such has had considerable influence on Ethiopian Christianity.The whole of Lalibela offers an exceptional testimony to the medieval and post-medieval civilization of Ethiopia, including, next to the eleven churches, the extensive remains of traditional, two story circular village houses with interior staircases and thatched roofs.Of Lalibela’s 8-10,000 people, over 1,000 are priests. Religious ritual is central to the life of the town, with regular processions, extensive fasts, crowds of singing and dancing priests. This, combined with its extraordinary religious architecture and simplicity of life, gives the city of Lalibela a distinctively timeless, almost biblical atmosphere.
