Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela
Ethiopia ·
Description
King Lalibela ordered his 12th-century capital carved out of the red volcanic rock to create a 'New Jerusalem' for Ethiopian Christians who could no longer travel to the Holy Land. The 11 churches, linked by tunnels and trenches, were chiseled down into the bedrock rather than built up. The cruciform Bete Giyorgis, church of Saint George, is the most famous image of Ethiopia.
Why It's a World Heritage Site
UNESCO recognized Lalibela as a unique artistic achievement in the rock-hewn churches of medieval Ethiopia and as an important center of Christian pilgrimage still in active use.
UNESCO Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions
Very much so. Priests live on site and daily Orthodox services are held. Pilgrims fill the churches during Genna (Ethiopian Christmas) in January.
Domestic flight from Addis Ababa to Lalibela airport, then 25 min drive to town. Roads are long and rough.
Strongly recommended. The symbolism and layout of the complex are hard to decipher without one.
Modest clothing, shoulders and knees covered, shoes removed at each church.
Check advisories — access has varied with recent conflict in northern Ethiopia.