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LALIBELA's ROCK HEWN CHURCHES IN ETHIOPIA TOUR

LALIBELA ROCK-HEWN CHURCHES, ETHIOPIA TOUR: King Lalibela constructed a 'New Jerusalem', after the Muslim conquests of the Holy Land halted Christian pilgrimage

Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches, Ethiopia

At a road distance of 682 km north of Addis Ababa, Lalibela is a small town at ± 2,600masl with an exclusively Christian population of about 20,000, famous rock-hewn churches, referred to as biete, bete or bet, meaning "house". Ethiopia's second holiest city, after Aksum, the Lalibela rock hewn churches a center of pilgrimage for all Christians belonging to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

King Lalibela set out to construct a ‘New Jerusalem’, after the Muslim conquests of the Holy Land halted Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem. While the construction periods of the churches are still subject to debate, most are thought having been in the 12th and 13th centuries.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Most of our hundreds of pictures are favored in Google! Why? Because no other website has so many beautiful high resolution pictures, taken by ourselves. Our pictures not only show you the beauty of Ethiopia, but they also show that we go everywhere, photographing wildlife, plants, people and culture. They show our professionalism, our keen eye for detail and our passion for the culture and nature of Ethiopia. So why consider booking our our Ethiopia Culture & National Parks modules? Because we don't mislead you like many tour operators do. When the Blue Nile falls are dry.... we tell you. When fog clouds the lava lake of Erte Ale? We let you know. Just drop us a mail and we will check it out for you.

Our tours take you to ALL famous cultural places of Ethiopia, and on top of that, you get to see up to 12 large nature reserves accompanied by a conservation forester. There is nothing similar on the market.

As Ethiopia can be combined with other East African countries, we organize tours in modules. Destinations Overview: Historical Circuit; Danakil Depression; Eastern Route; Simien Mountains; Bale Mountains; Southern Parks Safari; Gambella; Addis Ababa. BUT WAIT: if you buy your international ticket with Ethiopia Airlines, they will sell the internal flights at a price that you can't even ride the bus for. But you MUST plan it all in one package and making changes may be very costly. So let us help you plan your entire trip and book your local flights for an incredibly low price after you booked your international flight with Ethiopian Airlines!

Carved out of volcanic tuff rock, the churches have been constructed in different styles: some stand in caves, while others are isolated blocks, like the Bete Giyorgis Church,  which is built in the shape of the cross. Several of the churches are decorated with interesting murals.  Many churches are connected by a system of drainage ditches, tunnels and subterranean passageways. Some scholars have estimated a workforce of 40,000 was required to build these churches probably has taken longer than the period of King Lalibela's reign to carve them out.  What makes these churches so special is that they are built from the top down where everywhere else in the world, buildings are constructed from the ground up.

They are set in 2 groups:

Westerm clusters of churches of Lalibela

• Bete Medhane Alem (House of the Saviour of the World), home to the Lalibela Cross and the word's largest monolithic church;

• Bete Maryam (House of Mary), the oldest church;

• Bete Golgotha Mikael (House of Golgotha Mikael), home to tomb of King Lalibela;

• Bete Maskal (House of the Cross);

• Bete Denagel (House of Virgins).

Eastern Group of Lalibela

• Biete Amanuel (House of Emmanuel);

• Biete Qeddus Mercoreus (House of St. Mercoreos);

• Biete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot Libanos);

• Biete Gabriel-Rufael (House of the angels Gabriel, and Raphael);

• Biete Lehem (Bethlehem).

Seperate Bete Giyorgis Church

• Bete Giyorgis (Church of Saint George), isolated from the others but connected by trenches has been hewn in the form of a cross.

These churches are not museums. Members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have to go on a pilgrimage at least once in their lives, getting the same blessing as going to Jerusalem in the Holy Land. Many faithful will walk for days or weeks, to get there, making their way along Lalibela's winding, paths often through the rugged mountains, to worship God.  Since human memory and continuing to the present day, there are religious services in all churches every day, but they can be freely visited by tourists during the ceremonies. Frequently, there are funeral services in the morning that attract hundreds of people dressed in beautiful traditional white robes.

Away from Lalibelas are the Ashetan Maryam Monastery and the Yimrehane Kristos Church, both built in the Aksumite fashion inside a cave.

The original village of Lalibela consists of two storey round houses, built of red volcanic stone, and known as the Lasta Tukuls.

There is quite a variety of hotels in Lalibela but one stands out as it has been built in the shape of the local Tukuls, being Hotel Tukul.

The Lalibela monuments comprise the churches (Bete Giyorgis, left), the Tulkuls (above) and the church treasures having belonged to former both kings and the churches, now guarded and exhibited in a new museum (left).

Some of the churches, like Bete Mercoreus, are currently being restored, or rather fortified and protected from further erosion.

Bete Abba Libanos has been carved out of the face of a mountain in to a cave.

A huge roof protecting several of the Lalibela churches, like Bete Medhane Alem, from the eroding effects of the weather.

Bridge to the Bet Gabriel Rafael Church.

A layman receiving from a revered elderly non, recognizable by her yellow robe.

Funeral service in Lalibela.

The church complexes are all interconnected by trenches and tunnels, making it a most wonderful labyrinth for even the smallest children.

Ceremonial drums in Lalibela.

Chiseled column in church Lalibela.

Some of the churches have murals and carved plain or painted reliefs on walls and or ceilings.

Traditional Lalibela style houses are mostly round two-story houses with thatched roofs and a pot-shaped ceramic to tie the top thatch together.

Lalibela is a place of sanctity, with worshippers coming out of all corners of Ethiopia, priests praying in the churches or just sitting quietly in niches reading from the holy book or chanting to the tunes of an ancient music in the ancient celebrated in the Ge'ez language, which is no longer spoken and which only they can understand.

A fascinating labyrinth ceiled off by centuries old doors give access to the different rock churches at Lalibela.

This great travel itinerary includes Lalibela's rock hewn churches:

Daily comfortable affordable flights between Addis Ababa, Mek'ele, Axum and Lalibela with brand new Dornier Turbo Props.

Ethiopia modernizes and changes more rapidly than any other country in Africa. Many features may not be there anymore in the near future. If you want to see it the way it was for thousands of years, see it now before it has changed forever! Compose your own once-in-a-lifetime Ethiopia-Africa-Adventure from our affordable modules:

Famous Ethiopia Historical Circuit

Simien Mountains trek or car visit

Danakil Depression and Erte Ale Volcano Expedition

Awash Babile Harar Safari Tour

Ethiopia Central and Southern Parks & Tribes Safari Tour

Bale Mountains National Park and Sof Omar Caves Tour

Gambella National Park Safari

Addis Ababa City Tour & Airport Transfer

All Ethiopia modules and prices together

We designed our itineraries in such a way that you can compose a 1 to 4 weeks journey from different modules that can show you the entire country or just the parts that interest you, all depending on your personal preferences, available time and budget. Email us on your interests and we can discuss a custom program with you by phone (we have phone lines from the USA and Europe) or skype. So, weather you have a great ethnic affinity, are a birdwatcher or want to go on safari, contact us and we work out a customized program that focuses on YOUR interests.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is home of Ethiopian Airlines, featuring Africa's youngest fleet of the latest intercontinental jet airplanes - including 2 Dreamliners - as well as short-distance Bombardier turboprops for affordable and reliable in-country flights servicing all major cities of Ethiopia. The best airline of Africa, will fly you non-stop from the USA and Europe to Addis Ababa. Take our 1-week Ethiopia Cultural Monuments Tour and then continue for your Kenya or Tanzania safari - or any other East African capital - thus completing your journey. IF YOU BUY YOUR INTERNATIONAL TICKET FROM ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, YOU WILL GET MOST INTERNAL FLIGHTS FOR $40 - $70 PER LEG! BUT CHANGING AFTERWARDS IS EXPENSIVE, SO WORK OUT A SCHEDULE WITH US TO GET A FABULOUS DEAL FOR FLYING THROUGH THE COUNTRY IN STEAD OF SPENDING ENDLESS TIME ON THE ROAD!!!

LALIBELA's ROCK HEWN CHURCHES IN ETHIOPIA TOUR