Lalibela

Timeline

1. c. 1162–1180Ethiopian Highlands · EthiopiaAccording to church tradition, Lalibela was born into the royal family and showed devotion from childhood; later, due to court strife, he went into exile in Jerusalem and elsewhere, deepening his religious experience and laying the foundation for his later motivation to build the churches.
2. c. 1181–1200Roha (later called Lalibela) · Amhara RegionAfter succeeding to the throne, Lalibela consolidated Christian orthodoxy, established his capital at Roha, and began planning large-scale religious architecture, intending to reproduce on native soil the symbolic layout of Jerusalem's holy sites.
3. c. 1200–1220Lalibela · Amhara RegionAt the height of his reign, Lalibela directed the carving of eleven churches downward from solid basalt rock, including the Church of Saint George, forming a unique complex of underground churches; this project spanned around 1211–1220 and became a hallmark of medieval East African religious art.