Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

Timeline

1. 1161–1165Roha · Amhara RegionThe Zagwe dynasty maintained Christian monastic and royal religious traditions in the Lasta region, and Roha as a potential 'New Jerusalem' site had already drawn attention. Large-scale carving of monolithic churches had not yet begun, but the area already had an early tradition of rock-dwelling monasticism and stone-working experience.
2. 1166–1170Roha · Amhara RegionIn the late 1160s, Zagwe court religious planning tended toward creating a symbolic holy city at Roha. According to tradition, the future king Lalibela during this period or shortly afterward began organizing craftsmen and monks, preparing for the large-scale downward carving of churches and the construction of drainage and tunnel systems in the 1180s.