The eleven Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela are monolithic churches located in the western Ethiopian Highlands near the town of Lalibela, named after the late-12th and early-13th century King Gebre Meskel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned the massive building project of 11 rock-hewn churches to recreate the holy city of Jerusalem in ...

In a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, some 645 km from Addis Ababa, eleven medieval monolithic churches were carved out of rock. Their building is attributed to King Lalibela who set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New Jerusalem’, after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the holy Land.

Jul 2, 2020 · The church is a blend of traditional rock-hewn features and the more flamboyant Axumite architectural methods, the result of which is a wonderfully interesting place to visit. The décor is a mix of ancient rock paintings and more modern …

The churches are usually semi-monolithic – a part is cut out of rock, while another part is built with masoned rocks – or hewn out of caves. Many of them relatively easily accessible, but some can only be reached by climbing up difficult terrain or even a cliff.

The Washa Mikael Rock-Hewn Church (Amharic: ዋሻ ሚካኤል [wä schä mi kä el] literally "The Cave of Michael") is a rock-hewn semi-monolithic church located in the Yeka district of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.

The churches are usually semi-monolithic - a part is cut out of rock, while another part is built with masoned rocks - or hewn out of caves. Many of them relatively easily accessible, but some can only be reached by climbing up difficult terrain or even a cliff.

May 26, 2018 · Each of the 11 churches were carved from solid rock in a single piece. Some are “monolithic” – attached to the rock only at the base, while others are attached to the base as well as one or more side walls, making them “semi-monolithic.” I began …

Adadi Mariam church, the subject of this research, is a semi-monolithic rock-hewn church. The cave churches are ordinarily buildings built inside a natural cave, the cave is mainly selected for protection purpose from damaging by natural and man-made factors (Pankhurst, 1998).

Jan 16, 2024 · Commissioned by King Gebre Meskel Lalibela in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, these eleven monolithic churches were carved from solid rock in the western Ethiopian Highlands.

The semi-monolithic church was carved out of a vertical cliff face and the surface quality of the rock is much rougher than in most other churches of Lalibela. The Asheton Maryam monastery has many interesting treasures and a breathtaking panorama, making the ascent (which can be done on mule back) worthwhile.