Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Lalibela (Ethiopia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Church of Saint George, Biete Medhane Alem, and Monolithic church. Also, be sure to include Biete Gabriel-Rufael in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Lalibela (Amhara).
Table of Contents
Church of Saint George
Also known as: ቤተ ጊዮርጊስ
Unique monolithic stone church. The Church of Saint George is one of eleven rock-hewn monolithic churches in Lalibela, a town in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Originally named Roha, the historical and religious site was named Lalibela after the King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned its construction. He is regarded as a saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.[1]
Biete Medhane Alem
Also known as: ቤተ መድኃኔ ዓለም
Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Biete Medhane Alem is an Orthodox underground monolith rock-cut church located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. It was built during the Zagwe dynasty. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela. Biete Medhane Alem is home to the Lalibela Cross.[2]
Monolithic church
A monolithic church or rock-hewn church is a church made from a single block of stone. Because freestanding rocks of sufficient size are rare, such edifices are usually hewn into the ground or into the side of a hill or mountain. They can be of comparable architectural complexity to constructed buildings.
The term monolithic church is used of churches in various countries, not least the complex of eleven churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia, believed to have been created in the 12th century.[3]
Biete Gabriel-Rufael
Also known as: ቤተ ገብርኤል ወሩፋኤል
Biete Gabriel-Rufael is an underground monolith rock-cut church located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The Orthodox church was built during the Kingdom of Axum. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela. Biete Gabriel-Rufael is possibly a former royal palace, linked to a holy bakery.[4]
Biete Maryam
Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Biete Maryam is a monolithic rock-cut Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela.
Like the other churches of Lalibela, its precise date of construction is unknown, although it was built no earlier than the 7th century AD (during the Kingdom of Axum) and no later than the 13th century AD (during the Solomonic dynasty and Ethiopian Empire). The churches of Lalibela, including Biete Maryam, are traditionally ascribed to having been built during the reign of the Zagwe dynasty ruler Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (r. ca. 1181–1221). Archaeological analyses have discerned that the ruins of defensive fortifications date to roughly the 8th century AD, while the monolithic rock-cut churches were built in two stages: the first from the 11th to early 12th centuries, and the second phase from the late 12th to early 13th centuries.[5]
Biete Abba Libanos
Also known as: ቤተ አባ ሊባኖስ
Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Biete Abba Libanos is an underground rock-cut monolith Orthodox church located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. It was built during the Kingdom of Axum. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela.[6]
Mount Abuna Yosef
Also known as: አቡነ ዮሴፍ ተራራ
Mountain in Ethiopia. Abuna Yosef is a prominent mountain in the Lasta massif of the Ethiopian Highlands. At 4,260 metres it is the 6th tallest mountain in Ethiopia and the 19th highest of Africa. It is located in the Semien Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region.[7]
Address: Abune Yosef, On the top hill of 7olives Hotel Lalibela
Biete Qeddus Mercoreus
Also known as: ቤተ መርቆሬዎስ
Biete Qeddus Mercoreus is an underground Orthodox rock-cut monolith church located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. It was built during the Kingdom of Axum. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela. Biete Qeddus Mercoreus may be a former prison because of ankle shackles found there.[8]
Biete Meskel
Biete Meskel is an Orthodox underground monolith church carved into rock. It is located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The edifice was built during the Kingdom of Axum. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela.[9]
Biete Amanuel
Also known as: ቤተ አማኑኤል
Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Biete Amanuel is an underground Orthodox monolith rock-cut church located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The edifice was built during the Kingdom of Axum. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela. Biete Amanuel is possibly the former royal chapel.[10]
Biete Lehem
Biete Lehem is an underground monolith church carved into rock. It is located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. It was created during the Kingdom of Axum. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela. The name Biete Lehem is from Bethlehem Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם.[11]