Lalibela town

The Home of 11 Rock-hewn Churches, the unique and one of the world wonders, Lalibela is an ancient town in Lasta Province 642 kms from Addis Ababa to the North, 529 kms from Bahr Dar to the East, 529 kms from Axum to the south, 283 kms from Dessie and 120 kms Northwest of Woldia.

Lalibela was the capital of the Zagwe dynasty. Before the town rename as Lalibela it was known as Roha means the ‘Place of Saints’. The Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela reflect the blending of ancient Christian tradition in Ethiopia. Yet they are an entirely new creation of early Christian art on Ethiopian soil.

Lalibela town has got different names by its visitors: The New Jerusalem, the Second Jerusalem, the secret of Jerusalem, the eight wonder of the world, Heaven of God and others.

The World Heritage Committee entered World and Cultural heritages in its list for the first time in 1978. That time 11 of them were listed by UNESCO. Two of these Cultural and Natural Heritages belong to Ethiopia Rock-hewn Churches in Lalibela and the Simen Mountain. Of course the other Heritages of Ethiopia that listed by UNESCO include Fasil Ghibbi, Gondar (1979), Axum (1980), Lower Valley of the Awash (1980), Lower Valley of the Omo (1980) and Tiya (1980)
Prof. Richard Punkhurst

“ …there is something appealing about this legend, even to the most cynical and sophisticated of observers. Inevitably one finds oneself asking how, lacking modern technology and skills, mere human beings could have strange and massive edifies. The scale of some of the churches is so large, the detail so fine... For this was no simple matter of laying brick on brick stone block on stone block, the churches were literally cut, hewn carved out of the ancient granite of the mountain.”