Our guide today was Betaye, and he led us to the World Heritage Site of the famous rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. The churches are sometimes listed as the eighth wonder of the world.
According to legend, the medieval king Lalibela had the churches carved as a holy pilgrimage site alternative to Jerusalem. The churches are carved from solid rock starting from the top down and then inside and up. Today, the churches remain active places of worship. Holy men are present in each of the churches, providing tourists a willing photo opportunity.
The last church that was carved, and the most famous, is St. George. It is the only church carved in the shape of a cross. Along the walls outside the churches are holes that served as prayer rooms, monk homes, and tombs for unlucky pilgrims. A fertility pool exists at one of the churches that aided in the conception of a child if a woman bathed in its waters.
Betaye jokingly provided us with three suggestions for getting to the entrance of St. George Church; diving into the baptismal, climbing down a ladder, or using the stairs. We opted for the more traditional option down to the entrance, but we did brave scaling the wall as our exit!
Our evening ended at the Ben Abeba Restaurant, which is precariously perched on the side of the cliff overlooking the valley below. It seem to be a Dr. Seuss-inspired design, and is owned and operated by a Scotswoman. The setting was perfect as we watched the sun descend over the almost surreal patchwork of the landscape below.
Our guide today was Betaye, and he led us to the World Heritage Site of the famous rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. The churches are sometimes listed as the eighth wonder of the world.
According to legend, the medieval king Lalibela had the churches carved as a holy pilgrimage site alternative to Jerusalem. The churches are carved from solid rock starting from the top down and then inside and up. Today, the churches remain active places of worship. Holy men are present in each of the churches, providing tourists a willing photo opportunity.
The last church that was carved, and the most famous, is St. George. It is the only church carved in the shape of a cross. Along the walls outside the churches are holes that served as prayer rooms, monk homes, and tombs for unlucky pilgrims. A fertility pool exists at one of the churches that aided in the conception of a child if a woman bathed in its waters.
Betaye jokingly provided us with three suggestions for getting to the entrance of St. George Church; diving into the baptismal, climbing down a ladder, or using the stairs. We opted for the more traditional option down to the entrance, but we did brave scaling the wall as our exit!
Our evening ended at the Ben Abeba Restaurant, which is precariously perched on the side of the cliff overlooking the valley below. It seem to be a Dr. Seuss-inspired design, and is owned and operated by a Scotswoman. The setting was perfect as we watched the sun descend over the almost surreal patchwork of the landscape below.
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