Asia, Africa and the Americas in the 13th centuryCulture and art

Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela

In the mountains of northern Ethiopia, in the capital of the Zagwe kings, eleven churches were carved out of solid rock; tradition attributes them to King Lalibela, who set out to create a “New Jerusalem” in his own land.

Date: c. 1181 – c. 1221year known, approximate · duration: ≈ 40 years
Place: Lalibela (Roha)today: Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia · Africa
Participants: Gebre Meskel Lalibela, Zagwe dynasty
Threads: Asia, Africa and the Americas in the 13th century
Also known as: Церкви Лалибэлы; Лалибела; Бете Гиоргис

The churches were not built but hewn out of the volcanic rock: a deep trench was cut around the future church, then the remaining monolith was dressed on the outside and hollowed out into windows, doors and halls. The best known is the cross-shaped Church of Saint George. The layout and names of the churches reproduce the holy sites of Jerusalem; the town, formerly called Roha, later took the king’s name.

The dates are conventional. Tradition assigns all the churches to Lalibela’s reign (c. 1181–1221), and the event is shown across that span. Scholars believe, however, that some of the structures are older and were only remodeled under him, and that work continued after his death. The churches are still in use and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978.

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