Rock-Hewn Monolithic 13 Churches - Lalibela

[vicked.vicky]

Lalibela is a town in northern Ethiopia. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities. This rural town is known around the world for its monolithic churches which play an important part in the history of rock-cut architecture. Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the reign of Lalibela, namely during the 12th and 13th centuries. There are 13 churches, assembled in four groups.



The 13 churches are either carved in vertical cliffs, in natural caves or right into the ground and separated by trenches. They were all hand-carved by the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and the technical details are studying material even for modern architects. The churches of Lalibela are all connected through tunnels and the trench system transports the water to the nearby River Jordan. Anyone who knows the heavy rains that fall in Ethiopia, can appreciate this evacuation system. All the religious structures of Lalibela are named after buildings in Jerusalem.

[javaria]

this image is realy fantastic

[ar]

Cool Place

[reesh]

ancient place