The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

The eleven Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela are monolithic churches in the western Ethiopian Highlands near the town of Lalibela. They are named after the late-12th and early-13th century Zagwe dynasty King Gebre Meskel Lalibela, who commissioned the massive building project of 11 rock-hewn churches to recreate the holy city of Jerusalem in his own kingdom. The Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church continues to use the site, and it is a popular pilgrimage destination for Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers. It took 24 years to construct all 11 rock hewn churches.

According to local legend, an Agew family known as the Zagwa or Zagwe founded Lalibela (also known as Roha) around 1137 AD. The churches are claimed to have been built during the Zagwe dynasty, under the rule of King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (r. approx. 1181–1221 AD),[4], although it is more likely that they grew into their final form over numerous phases of construction and alteration of pre-existing structures.

The site of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.

The rock-hewn churches at Lalibela were built using subtractive procedures, which create space by removing material. Out of the 11 churches, four are free-standing (monolithic), while seven share a wall with the mountain from which they were carved. The churches are all unique…