Construction of Lalibela's Rock-Hewn Churches

Name: Construction of Lalibela's Rock-Hewn Churches
Start: 1150
End: 1159

Type Event Region Ethiopia Time 1150–1159

In the mid-12th century, large-scale rock-hewn church projects began near Lalibela in the Ethiopian highlands, forming a 'New Jerusalem' carved downw…

Timeline

1150–1159Lalibela Plateau · EthiopiaTaking the obstruction of pilgrimages to Jerusalem as an opportunity, the Zagwe rulers selected a highland site to plan a mountain church complex symbolizing the holy city, embedding biblical place names and liturgical space into the local landscape.
1150–1159Lalibela church complex · EthiopiaCraftsmen carved downward from the surface into the basalt, building the cruciform Bete Giyorgis church along with multiple connected chapels, passages, and holy water pools, forming the world's largest monolithic rock-hewn church complex.

Sources

Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/18/
Lalibela https://www.britannica.com/place/Lalibela