A sun Drenched town in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Lasta district and North Wollo Zone, is a tourist site known for its famous rock-cut monolithic churches. The whole of Lalibela is a large and important site for the antiquity, medieval, and post-medieval civilization of Ethiopia. To Christians, Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, and a center of pilgrimage.
It is also, completely underground, some of its churches are 150ft down, into the Earth.
Ethiopia was one of the earliest nations to adopt Christianity in the first half of the 4th century, and its historical roots date to the time of the Apostles. There are numerous tribes and towns who's populace claim to have descended from the original Tribes of biblical peoples.
the churches themselves date from the 7th to 13th centuries, and are traditionally dated to the reign of the Zagwe (Agaw) king Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (r. ca. 1181–1221)
Lalibela, revered as a saint, is said to have visited Jerusalem and attempted to recreate a new Jerusalem as his capital in response to the taking of old Jerusalem by Muslims in 1187
The building of the rock churches took and alleged Twenty Years to complete!
The beautifully carved churches were dug out from the rock below the dry ground. However the art and frescos adorning the chambers denote so much more than simple digging. Carved christian artwork and some painted areas. Some researchers believe the artwork resemble Crusader imagery. Possibly saying that they aided in the construction, and perhaps defense of the area.
The area, once discovered by outsiders has remained a contested area. It is, much like Jerusalem, more of a religious treasure, than a simple city. Thankfully the City has remained greatly the same for all these centuries.
Even as recently as 2021, during the Tigray War. Anti-government militia took over the town during the war. The Ethiopian government in December claimed to have taken it back from said fighters.
There are plenty of theories and contentious ideas surrounding the complex. From who helped in the creation, to the exact years in which the Churches were carved. The area is still populated by civilians who live both above and below ground within the area of Lalibela. Ethiopia in general remains a very important place as far as religions are concerned.
As stated before, Tribes in the area claim biblical ancestry. The ark of the covenant is said to be held in complete secrecy in another Church in the country. Some of the oldest bibles and biblical writings are held within the country. With as many links as there are to biblical history, it is interesting how often the country is left out of the main stream discussion.
Very interesting indeed......