Our Water to Thrive travel group boarded a plane early for the city of Lalibela, the destination of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians during their holy holidays.
St. George’s Church
Here are 11 ancient monolithic rock-hewn granite churches, standing majestically awaiting arrival of tourists from many nations. Eighty percent of the tourists coming to Ethiopia visit Lalibela.
Painted Ceiling in Bet Medhane Church
The interiors are so dark that some photos don’t work well, but these are elaborately carved and were constructed in the 13th century. The exteriors are different shapes at ground level, and about 50 ft. in height…but entirely below ground level of mountains. They are protected United Nations ESCO World Heritage sites.
Priest with the Lalibela Cross (est. 800 years old)
Inside the churches are priests who care for the churches and lead worship services. They have been in continuous use as places of worship since then. The population of Lalibela, normally about 15,000, can swell to over 200,000 during the celebration of Christian Festivals.
Ben Abeba Restaurant, Lalibela
Between visits to churches, we enjoyed lunch at a very unique restaurant, Ben Abeba. It is perched high on a hill, overlooking a long valley below. Kind of reminds us of Star Wars. The food was good, and the views awesome!
To learn more about the Lalibela Churches, go to Wikipedia and search for Lalibela.
– Dick
Our Water to Thrive travel group boarded a plane early for the city of Lalibela, the destination of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians during their holy holidays.
St. George’s Church
Here are 11 ancient monolithic rock-hewn granite churches, standing majestically awaiting arrival of tourists from many nations. Eighty percent of the tourists coming to Ethiopia visit Lalibela.
Painted Ceiling in Bet Medhane Church
The interiors are so dark that some photos don’t work well, but these are elaborately carved and were constructed in the 13th century. The exteriors are different shapes at ground level, and about 50 ft. in height…but entirely below ground level of mountains. They are protected United Nations ESCO World Heritage sites.
Priest with the Lalibela Cross (est. 800 years old)
Inside the churches are priests who care for the churches and lead worship services. They have been in continuous use as places of worship since then. The population of Lalibela, normally about 15,000, can swell to over 200,000 during the celebration of Christian Festivals.
Ben Abeba Restaurant, Lalibela
Between visits to churches, we enjoyed lunch at a very unique restaurant, Ben Abeba. It is perched high on a hill, overlooking a long valley below. Kind of reminds us of Star Wars. The food was good, and the views awesome!
To learn more about the Lalibela Churches, go to Wikipedia and search for Lalibela.
– Dick
About The Author: Water to Thrive
More posts by Water to Thrive