Cave dwellings in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a world-famous troglodytic heritage, mainly located in its north-west quarter, in Abyssinia. In these mountains, where a Christianity very close of the origins’ Christianity has survived until today, long-isolated from Christian world by Muslims kingdoms which surrounded it, there are remarkable rock-cut churches. The major site is undoubtedly the site of Lalibela, the “Black Jerusalem”, whose monuments are registered to the UNESCO world heritage list. In this small town, at the beginning of the 13th century, king Lalibela dug eleven monolithic churches, each one more outstanding than the other, to offer Christian pilgrims from Ethiopia, who were isolated from the Holy Land, a substitution Jerusalem.

Pilgrims

Genete Maryam

Emerging from the rock

Colonnade

Archangels

Carved roof

In the courtyard of Bete Medhane Alem

Greek cross

Bete Giorghis

Bete Giorghis

Earthworks

Windows

Yemrehanna Krestos

Mummies of children

Ne’akuto Le’ab

Tabot

Priests' dance

Church under the rock