
Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela
Near the small town of Lalibela, there are eleven medieval churches, which are all carved out of massive slabs of volcanic rock.
The churches were created in the 12th-century under the direction of King Lalibela. He had a vision of a “New Jerusalem” for Christians who were prevented from making the pilgrimage to the Holy Land because of Muslim conquests across the region. Today it is still a popular pilgrimage site for Coptic Christians.
The most fascinating of the ancient churches is the House of Saint George, or Biete Ghiorgis. The 12th century “New Jerusalem” is often called the 8th wonder of the world heritages. Lalibela has been a world heritage site since 1978.