The 11 monolithic rock-hewn churches

The churches were built from a single rock being chiseled from 7th to early 13th century AD during the Aksumite and Zagwe periods. Some of the churches that were built during the reign of King Lalibela of Zagwe was intended to create a New Jerusalem, so that Ethiopian Christians can easily pilgrimage there instead of the long and hostile trip to Muslim controlled Israel.

They are among the 10 UNESCO heritage sites in Ethiopia (the largest number in Africa).

There architectures is very unique and some scholars even call them as the 8th wonder of the world.

The names of the churches are:-

1. Bete Medhane Alem (House of the Saviour of the World)
2. Bete Maryam (House of Miriam/House of Mary)
3. Bete Golgotha Mikael (House of Golgotha Mikael)
4. Bete Meskel (House of the Cross)
5. Bete Denagel (House of Virgins)
6. Bete Giyorgis (House of Saint George)
7. Bete Amanuel (House of Emmanuel)
8. Bete Qeddus Mercoreus (House of St Mercoreos/House of St Mark)
9. Bete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot Libanos)
10. Bete Gabriel-Rufael (House of the angels Gabriel, and Raphael)
11. Bete Lehem (House of Holy Bread)

The following are pics of:-
- Bete Giyorgis
- Bete Medhane Alem
- Bete Maryam
- Bete Amanuel

wait......u mean those buildings are carved out from a rock?

shervydman:
wait......u mean those buildings are carved out from a rock?

Yeah

They were carved very precisely.
Did they used a laser technology?
Did Aliens visited us and helped the builders?
It's confusing

Most Ethiopians in the past believed and some still even believe that the churches were built by angels in one night, but we know that this belief is a myth.

The first European to see these churches was the Portuguese explorer Pêro da Covilhã in 15th century AD.
Then followed another Portuguese priest Francisco Álvares in the 16th century AD, accompanied the Portuguese Ambassador on his visit to Emperor Lebne Dengel of Ethiopia in the 1520s. He describes the unique church structures as follows:
"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 truth, to which nothing has been added, and there is much more than what I have written, and I have felt it that they may not tax me with it being falsehood, so great was my desire to make known this splendour to the world".

Hati13:

Yeah

They were carved very precisely.
Did they used a laser technology?
Did Aliens visited us and helped the builders?
It's confusing

Most Ethiopians in the past believed and some still even believe that the churches were built by angels in one night, but we know that this belief is a myth.

The first European to see these churches was the Portuguese explorer Pêro da Covilhã in 15th century AD.
Then followed another Portuguese priest Francisco Álvares in the 16th century AD, accompanied the Portuguese Ambassador on his visit to Atse (emperor) Lebne Dengel of Ethiopia in the 1520s. He describes the unique church structures as follows:
"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 truth, to which nothing has been added, and there is much more than what I have written, and I have felt it that they may not tax me with it being falsehood, so great was my desire to make known this splendour to the world".

wow.....

More pics
- Bete Abba Libanos
- Bete Gabriel-Rufael
- Bete Qeddus Mercoreus
- Bete Meskel