Lalibela

Lalibela is a city in the Amhara ethnic division, or kilil, of Ethiopia. It lies within the former province of Wollo. It is located over 2,500 km² above sea level at 12.04°N 39.04°E / 12.04; 39.04 and its estimated population (as of 2005) is 11,152.¹ Lalibela is one of modern Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Aksum, and is a center of pilgrimage for much of the country. Unlike Aksum, the population of Lalibela is very nearly 100% Ethiopian Orthodox Christian.

Churches

This rural town is known around the world for its monolithic churches, which were built during the reign of Saint Lalibela (a member of the Zagwe Dynasty) who ruled the Ethiopia in the 13th century. There are 11 churches, assembled in three groups:

The Northern Group: Bet Medhane Alem, home to the Lalibela Cross and believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world, probably a copy of St Mary of Zion in Aksum. It is linked to Bet Maryam (possibly the oldest of the churches), Bel Golgotha (known for its arts and said to contain the tomb of King Lalibela), the Selassie Chapel and the Tomb of Adam.

The Western Group: Bel Giyorgis, said to be the most finely executed and best preserved church.

The Eastern Group: Bet Amanuel (possibly the former royal chapel), Bet Merkorios (which may be a former prison), Bet Abba Libanos and Bet Gabriel-Rufael (possibly a former royal palace), linked to a holy bakery.

Further afield lie the monastery of Ashetan Maryam and Yemrahanna Kristos church (possibly eleventh century, built in the Aksumite fashion but within a cave).

Contrary to certain spurious myths, the great rock-hewn churches of Lalibela were not built with the help of the Knights Templar; rather, they were produced solely by medieval Ethiopian civilization. (This is testified to by the presence of many architectural decorations and styles similar to those of the ancient Ethiopian capital city of Aksum.)

History

During Lalibela's reign, the current town of Lalibela was known as Roha. "Lalibela" itself means "the bees recognise his sovereignty." The saintly king was given this name 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. The names of several places in the modern town and the general layout of the monolithic churches themselves are said to mimic names and patterns observed by Lalibela during the time he spent in Jerusalem and the Holy Land as a youth.

Lalibela is said to have seen Jerusalem and then attempted to build a new Jerusalem as his capital. As such, many features have Biblical names - even the town's river is known as the River Jordan.

The first European to see these churches was the Portuguese priest Francisco Alvarez, who accompanied the Portuguese Ambassador on his visit to Lebna Dengel in the 1520s. His description of these structures concludes:

I weary of writing more about these buildings, because it seems to me that I shall not be believed if I write more ... I swear by God, in Whose power I am, that all I have written is the truth²

Although Ramuso included plans of several of these churches in his 1550 printing of Alvarez's book, it is not known who supplied him the drawings. The next reported European visitor to Lalibela was Miguel de Castanhoso, who served as a soldier under Christovão da Gama and left Ethiopia in 1544.³ After de Castanhoso, over 300 years passed until the next European, Gerhard Rohlfs, visited Lalibela at some time between 1865 and 1870.

Other features

Lalibela is also home to an airport, a large market, two schools and a hospital. Ethiopian wolves can be seen near the town.

See also

• Church of St. George

References

1. "Lalibela - profile of geographical entity including name variants". World Gazetteer. July 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
2. Francisco Alvarez, The Prester John of the Indies translated by C.F. Beckingham and G.W.B. Huntingford (Cambridge: Hakluyt Society, 1961), p. 226. Beckingham and Huntingford add an appendix which discuss Alvarez's description of these churches, pp. 526-42.
3. De Castanhoso's account is translated in R.S. Whiteway, The Portuguese Expedition to Ethiopia (London: The Hakluyt Society, 1902), pp. 94-98.

External links

• Ethiopian Treasures - Zagwe Dynasty, Rock-hewn Churches - Lalibela
• Lalibela, a city carved from legend
• www.imperialethiopia.org/history2.htm
• History of Lalibela churches
• UNESCO World Heritage Site