Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela Review

The 11 medieval monolithic cave churches of this 13th-century 'New Jerusalem' are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia near a traditional village with circular-shaped dwellings. Lalibela is a high place of Ethiopian Christianity, still today a place of pilmigrage and devotion.

Legend has it that in the 12th century, the seventh king of Ethiopia, Lalibela, dreamed of the god: "Build a new Jerusalem city in Ethiopia and demand that a church be built with a whole rock". So Lalibela used 20,000 artificial labor to chiseel 11 rock churches in the rock plateau of 2,600 meters in northern Ethiopia, which people called Lalibela. Since then, Lalibela has become a holy place for Ethiopians. Every year, believers will gather here on January 7th Ethiopian Christmas. These churches are nestled in huge pits of rock. The carved churches are carved from hard rock like giant sculptures, like the temples of Elora. They are stunning in appearance and unique interior decoration. They are an extraordinary product of the prosperity of Christian civilization in Ethiopia in the 12th and 13th centuries. Built around 1,000 BC, they are known as the "African Miracle". In 1979, they were listed on the World Heritage List.

The town, home to the famed world heritage site Lalibela underground church group, is better known to travelers than Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. Even watching the rock church in Lalibela on television and in books, it is quite shocking to walk in. These still in use are chiselled entirely on the rock, magnificent and beautifully preserved, most of them in excellent condition. St. George's Church is the most photographed church in Lalibela, and it is indeed a representative of the entire church group, except for the unprotected sky curtain. Looking down from above, the church is in the shape of a cross, and the grooves above are designed to not only beautify but also to drive rainwater out to avoid corrosion of the building

The coffee produced in this country is very good, almost the best in the world. The coffee here is very cheap, almost free, as long as you want to buy it. Catholicism is the supreme doctrine of the country. There are many beautiful stained glass paintings in churches, which are no less than those in Europe.

Because human beings have good living conditions and temperatures here, human beings here have their own soil and conditions for life and life, Ethiopia is such a country with fertile soil.