“According to local legend, Lalibela was born the brother of the incumbent king. As a young child he was covered in a swarm of bees, which his mother took as a sign that he would one day be king himself. The king was none too pleased at this prophecy, and eventually tried to poison his younger brother, but instead of killing him he cast him into a deep sleep that endured for three days. While sleeping, Lalibela was transported to heaven by an angel and shown a city of rock-hewn churches, which he was ordered to replicate. Lalibela was eventually crowned king, and set about gathering the world’s greatest craftsman and artisans in order to carve the churches. Legend has it that at least one of the churches was built in a day with the help of angels.”
However these churches came to be, they truly are a sight to behold. Carved out of the earth, they are an architectural wonder. Even though they are an UNESCO World Heritage site, they are not a museum. As we roamed the 3 separate complexes we had to weave around the local parishioners who had come to pray or seek blessings from the priests.
Each church is symbolized by a unique cross and it is customary to ask to see the cross and kiss the cross. You are more than welcome to take pictures, but what I found to be hilarious is that just before the flash went off the priest would don a pair of Jackie-O black sunglasses. Eye safety trumps fashion for these men!
Tammy and I literally spent the entire day exploring all 13 churches. At times we felt like spelunkers as we descended into darkness to traverse the subterranean passageways from one church to the next. We then became rock-climbers to access the tiny cells carved mid-way up the rock wall where monks would live and pray for days at a time. In some respects it is a shame that the world knows not of Lalibela, but I suspect that this obscurity is also what keeps Lalibela a true treasure.
Bet Medhane Alem is the largest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world. On the left side of the picture, you can see a portion of the scaffolding and roof that was constructed by UNESCO as a means of protecting the church from the elements in an attempt to preserve the church for future generations. It definitely is a detraction, but it would be a shame to see these structures destroyed by the monsoon like rains that descend upon Ethiopia from June to September.
Tammy and I couldn’t resist having our photo taken with the priest who prays for single people! Seriously, I’m not making this up. Perhaps those of you who are single should consider a trip to Lalibela instead of membership fees for eHarmony or Match.com.
Tammy works her way into one of the “monk cells” carved into the rock-wall. I was a little afraid of getting stuck and turning into a pile of bones (seriously, some of the caves house full skeletons) so decided to fore-go this experience.
St. Georgies is considered to be the iconic Lalibela church. It is truly magnificent and unspoiled by a gargantuan protective roof. And…it’s not something you only experience from the top. This is the church that most astounds me in terms of its construction.
This is St. Georgies again. Just wanted to give you the full perspective.
Climbing down into one of the tunnels…yes, a wee bit disconcerting!
