The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

Lalibela, high in the northern Ethiopian highlands, is one of the most extraordinary and sacred sites in Africa, a complex of eleven medieval churches carved, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, not built up but hewn downward entirely out of the solid volcanic rock. A UNESCO wonder and a living, active centre of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, its monolithic churches, linked by tunnels and trenches, most famously the cross-shaped Bete Giyorgis carved into a deep pit, remain a place of profound pilgrimage, sometimes called the New Jerusalem.

History

According to local tradition the town, then called Roha, was founded by the Agaw Zagwe family in 1137, and its eleven churches are said to have been commissioned by King Gebre Meskel Lalibela (about 1181-1221), who, the story goes, was shown Jerusalem by Christ and told to build a second one in Ethiopia; more likely the churches reached their present form over several phases of carving and alteration of earlier structures. They remain in use by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and a major place of pilgrimage, and the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978 (Wikipedia, Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela).

What's there

• Bete Giyorgis - the iconic cross-shaped church in a deep pit.
• The rock-hewn churches - the eleven monolithic churches and tunnels.
• The pilgrims and priests - the living Orthodox worship and processions.
• The Christmas and Timkat festivals - the great pilgrimage celebrations.

When to go

October to March, the dry season, for the best weather in the highlands; the great festivals of Ethiopian Christmas in January and Timkat draw huge crowds of white-robed pilgrims and are extraordinary, if crowded, times to visit.

Good to know

It is remote, high in the highlands, best reached by a short flight rather than the long road. As living, sacred churches, dress modestly, remove shoes at each church, and behave with respect toward the worshippers and priests. Some churches are covered by protective shelters. The churches themselves are astonishing.

Nearby

The Simien Mountains, Gondar and the northern historic circuit are within reach.

Key facts