A City Hewn from Rock
High in Ethiopia’s Lasta mountains lies Lalibela, a town famous for its extraordinary rock-cut churches. Unlike any other site in the world, these monolithic churches were not built but carved directly into the volcanic rock—creating entire structures, both inside and out, from single pieces of stone.
A Royal Vision
According to tradition, the churches were commissioned by King Gebre Meskel Lalibela, who ruled during the 12th and early 13th centuries. Local belief holds that he was divinely inspired to recreate Jerusalem in Ethiopia after Muslim forces captured the original city in 1187.
Sacred Architecture
There are eleven churches in total, grouped into clusters and connected by tunnels and trenches. The most renowned is Biete Giyorgis (Church of Saint George), shaped in a perfect cross. Each church features elaborate stonework, columns, and carved windows—all created from solid rock.
A Living Pilgrimage Site
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, Lalibela remains an active place of worship and pilgrimage. Priests continue to serve in the churches, some of which are believed to have been carved even earlier than Lalibela’s reign, possibly dating to the Aksumite era.
