Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela — Attraction in Amhara Region

In themselves the churches are magnificent, although the coverings erected to keep the rain off are actually causing the rock to dry out which is putting the structural integrity at risk.

A total lack of tourism since CoVid means the whole site is in disrepair and desperate need of investment.

As a result of the economic situation the entrance fee has recently been doubled to 100 USD although this gives 5 days entrance.

I'm spite of this I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and the local church deacons are more than happy to explain the official history of the site.

Don't bother with a guide unless you specifically want to help the local economy. In general they don't know anymore than the deacons.

Also don't be put off by reports of locals harassing tourists as the people of Lalibela are friendly and will do anything to assist you.

I felt 100% safe whilst I was there.

If possible it is worth checking with any Ethiopians you know about the situation with FANO and the government before you go. The Ethiopian government insist that the area is 100% peaceful and deny the recent fighting in the area even took place.

Whilst I was there, the area was peaceful and the locals are adamant that FANO don't pose a threat...

The eleven Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela are monolithic churches located in the Western Ethiopian Highlands near the town of Lalibela, named after the late-12th and early-13th century King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned the massive building project of 11 rock-hewn churches to recreate the holy city of Jerusalem in his own kingdom. The site remains in use by the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church to this day, and it remains an important place of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox worshipers.1] It took 24 years to build all the 11 rock hewn churches. According to local tradition, Lalibela (traditionally known as Roha) was founded by an Agew family called the Zagwa or Zagwe in 1137 AD.[2] The churches are said to have been built during the Zagwe dynasty, under the rule of King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela[3,[4] although it is more likely that they evolved into their current form over the course of several phases of construction and alteration of preexisting structures.[5]

The site of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela was first included on the UNESCO World Heritage...

Orthodox Christian churches carved from solid rock in the mountains of Ethiopia.

The 11 rock churches at Lalibela in the Amhara district of northern Ethiopia were probably built by King Gebre Meskel Lalibela, after whom the town is named. A member of the Zagwe dynasty, he ruled this mountainous area of Ethiopia about 900 years ago. A devout Christian of the Ethiopian Orthodox faith, he is said to have created the churches in response to the fall of Jerusalem to a Muslim army in 1187, intending the complex as a recreation of the holy city.

Exceptional technique. Each of the churches was made by chiseling away soft, reddish volcanic rock to isolate a rectangular block. The workers then cut inward, hollowing the block to form a room inside. The largest church, Bete Medhane Alem, has rows of outer columns like a Greek temple. Bete Gyorgis, the best preserved, is in the shape of a cross. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, the churches are a living place of pilgrimage visited by thousands of...