Every Ethiopian knows the name Lalibela, the 12 century zagwe dynasty’s 11 churches that are hewn from a single rock which can give an insight to the medieval beliefs and life of Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christians, is one of the most historic and holiest places found in Ethiopia. It’s architectural involvement, aesthetic appearances and its peculiar construction commentary makes this marvelous destination rank on the top of the places to visit in Ethiopia list. Lalibela and it’s 11 rock-hewn “yedengay weker” churches, are also inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
The word Lalibela also known as “mar-libela” in Amharic translates to “he eats honey” or “the bees obey him” in agew. The prophecy behind this nomenclature is that when king Lalibela was born a swarm of bees surrounded him and his mother interpreted is as a sign of his thriving reign as king. As to the second definition of the name, it was given to him because the bees willingly allow him to eat honey from their haves which was taken as obedience of the bees to his highness.
The general purpose to the construction of this religious Sanctuary is for it to serve as the capital of Christians and to be the new Jerusalem. This intention by king Lalibela was driven by the cause of Jerusalem being captured by the Muslim sultan Saladin in 1187, there for the country’s faithful can have an alternative place of worship. To this day Lalibela is open for worship all year round.
The 11 churches surrounding it are interconnected and are grouped in to two distinct groups on either side of River Jordan “Yordanos wenze”. They are known as;
- Bete Medehanialem
- Bete Mariam
- Bete Meskel
- Bete Dengel
- Bete Golgota Miskel
- Bete Amanuel
- Bete Kidus Merqorios
- Bete Aba Libanos
- Bete Gebriel Ruphael
- Bete Lehem
- Bete Giorgis
To recapitulate Lalibela was made by men during the day and by angles during the night starting from top to bottom till the found a big cube rock then started by creating a door to enter and make the interior part of the church. It is said that the doors, windows and all the decorative details are chiseled meticulously by hands. This magical creation doesn’t have the basic elements needed in today’s construction like concrete, reinforcements, lumbar or any kinds of other materials other than the one rock that it is carved from and is still standing to this day, if that is the type of place that you want to see with your own eyes then it’s only a few miles away from where ever you are in Ethiopia.
Article By: Kalkidan Bekele
