Lalibela (ላሊበላ)

Lalibela's main attractions are its 11 amazing rock hewn churches that date from the 7th to 13th centuries. Other such churches are found in Petra (Jordan), but in Lalibela they are completely cut loose from the surrounding rock, which makes them special.

King Lalibela founded the city in the 12th century after the decline and fall of Aksum.

Much of the original city has disappeared, but the churches have been kept well by generations of protective priests. All the churches contain marvelous murals and ornamented crosses, while bibles and illustrated manuscripts are displayed.

It is widely accepted that the layout and names of the churches in Lalibela are a symbolic representation of Jerusalem. This is why it is thought that most churches wer hewn out of the rock after Muslim leader Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187.

To Christians, Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities and an important center of pilgrimage. The rock-hewn churches were added to the UNESCO list of world heriatage sites in 1978.

The 11 churches are divided into 4 groups, each of which includes one or more churches. The churches were built in such a way that an artesian geological system that brings water up to the top of the mountain ridge was exploited. This way the wells next to many of the churches always held water.

Accommodation in Lalibela is easy to get and there are many restaurants. Lalibela is about 340 km north of Addis Abeba and is connected to the capital, as weöö as to Gonder by air and road.