What are the 11 rock-hewn church of Lalibela?
In a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, some 645 km from Addis Ababa, eleven medieval monolithic churches were carved out of rock. Their building is attributed to King Lalibela who set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New Jerusalem’, after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the holy Land.
What were the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela used for?
The churches are still used for daily worship and special ceremonies, receiving pilgrims and large crowds during holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The churches, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, are sculpted out of solid volcanic rock and are often connected by long underground tunnels and trenches.
Who built Lalibela churches?
The churches were carved around the year 1200 by people called the Zagwe. Their king, Lalibela, is said to have traveled the 1,600 miles to Jerusalem.
Why should rock-hewn churches Lalibela be preserved?
The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela are worth preserving because they serve as a huge religious center for not only the people of Ethiopia, but people around the world. The churches bring in around 100,000 people in every year that worship the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
What is the meaning of rock-hewn churches?
The Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela are monolithic churches located in the Western Ethiopian Highlands near the town of Lalibela, named after the late-12th and early-13th century King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe Dynasty, who commissioned the massive building project of 11 rock-hewn churches to recreate the holy …
What is the meaning of Lalibela?
the bees recognise his sovereignty
He was given the name “Lalibela”, meaning “the bees recognise his sovereignty” in Old Agaw, due to a swarm of bees said to have surrounded him at his birth, which his mother took as a sign of his future reign as Emperor of Ethiopia.
Who was King Lalibela and what did he do?
Lalibela, the best-known Zagwe emperor, ruled at the beginning of the 13th century and is known for building the monolithic rock-hewn churches at the Zagwe capital, which was later renamed for him.
How long did it take to build Lalibela churches?
ca. 1181–1221). According to the king’s hagiography (gadl), Lalibela carved the churches over a period of twenty-four years with the assistance of angels.
Why was King Lalibela significant in the history of Christianity?
…of Roha (modern-day Lalibela), Emperor Lalibela (reigned c. 1185–1225) directed the hewing of 11 churches out of living rock—a stupendous monument to Christianity, which he and the other Zagwes fostered along with the Ethiopianization of the countryside.