Lalibela — A small town on the slopes of Mount Prytula AbMount Präsulauna Yosef that is renowned for its monolithic rock-cut churches. It was the political and cultural capital of Ethiopia in the Middle Ages, at an altitude of two thousand five hundred metres above sea level. The local temple complex, an architectural gem that is the church of St George (Bet Giyorgis, Lalibela, Ethiopia), was built in the middle of the XII century by order of the king, who wanted to see his country as a New Jerusalem.
When young Saint Gebre Mesqel Lalibela was born into the Zagwe Dynasty in Ethiopia, the town of Lalibela was known as Roha. The name Lalibela was given to the young boy when he was surrounded by a swarm of bees; soon after birth, his mother believed the event was a sign that he would come to rule Ethiopia one day. His name literally means, "the bees recognised his sovereignty."
Lalibela is best known as the king who ordered the construction of eleven monolithic stone churches found in the town today. Lalibela's goal was to create a new Ethiopian Jerusalem, and he recreated many biblical scenes, such as the stable, out of carved rock. The Bete Giyorgis is by far the most spectacular of these churches. It is carved from the ground and shaped from the inside. It is one unbroken piece of stone. Bete Giorgis is connected to the other sunken stone churches through a series of elaborate tunnels. There are two versions of the church's history. One version says that his widow built the church after Lalibela's death in 1220 c. as a memorial to the "Saint King". The other claims it was a promise King Lalibela had made to St George, who had been upset that Lalibela had not constructed a church dedicated to him.
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The church is cut 40 feet down, its roof forming the shape of a Greek cross. Inside the church, there is a curtain that shields the Holy of Holies and a priest displaying books and paintings to visitors. In the shadow of one of the arms of the cruciform-shaped church is a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. Although an explorer was the only one allowed to open it, he found it empty. No one was able to tell him what happened to its contents.
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The modern world has completely isolated the town of Lalibela. Without motor vehicles, gas stations, or paved streets, the town goes about its business as it has for hundreds of years. Religious ritual is central to the life of the town, with one-tenth of its population devoted to the priesthood. Regular processions, extensive fasts, and crowds of singing and dancing priests are also part of the town's life. The eleven solid rock churches in the hills not far from the town make Lalivela one of the holiest places in Ethiopia.
Inside the church is King Lalibela's tool box with a unique locking mechanism that uses a screw post. The doors in the church are also original.
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Interior Ceiling Cross Decoration, Architectural Rock-Hewn Church of St George, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lalibela, Ethiopia, Africa.
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Today, the site is considered one of the centres of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Christians. This atmosphere, combined with the religious architecture and the simplicity of the town's way of life, gives the city of Lalibela "a distinctively timeless, almost biblical atmosphere". Known as the world-recognised churches of Lalibela, a miracle of engineering, as it was hundreds of years ago, they are admired by thousands of people who come to Ethiopia in order to pay homage to the holy sites and to see the inimitable wonder of the world, carved eight centuries ago in the city with the beautiful name of Lalibela.
Source — Wikipedia | Atlas Obscura
Fantastic work
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