Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

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Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Lalibela, san giorgio, esterno 24.jpg
Church of Saint George
Criteria Cultural: i, ii, iii
Reference 18
Inscription1978 (2nd Session)
Coordinates 12°01′57″N39°02′36″E / 12.03250°N 39.04333°E / 12.03250; 39.04333
Ethiopia relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location in Ethiopia

The eleven Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela are monolithic churches located in the western Ethiopian Highlands near the town of Lalibela, named after the late-12th and early-13th century King Gebre Meskel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned the massive building project of 11 rock-hewn churches to recreate the holy city of Jerusalem in his own kingdom. The site remains in use by the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church to this day, and it remains an important place of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox worshipers. [1] It took 24 years to build all the 11 rock hewn churches.

Contents

History

According to local tradition, Lalibela (traditionally known as Roha) was founded by an Agew family called the Zagwa or Zagwe in 1137 AD. [2] The churches are said to have been built during the Zagwe dynasty, under the rule of King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela [3] (r. ca. 1181–1221 AD), [4] although it is more likely that they evolved into their current form over the course of several phases of construction and alteration of preexisting structures. [5]

The site of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela was first included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978. [6]

Archaeological site

Lalibela area map Karta Lalibela.PNG
Lalibela area map

At an altitude of around 2,480 metres (8,140 ft), [2] the archaeological site consists of five churches north of the town's river Jordan, five south of the river, and one independently located. The churches in each grouping are connected by a system of tunnels and trenches. Biete Giorgis, the eleventh church, is connected to the others by trenches. The northern churches are Biete Medhane Alem, Biete Maryam, Biete Golgotha Mikael, Biete Meskel, and Biete Denagel. The southern churches are Biete Amanuel, Biete Qeddus Mercoreus, Biete Abba Libanos, Biete Lehem, and Biete Gabriel-Rufael. [7]

Architecture

The rock-hewn churches at Lalibela are made through a subtractive processes in which space is created by removing material. Out of the 11 churches, 4 are free-standing (monolithic) and 7 share a wall with the mountain out of which they are carved. The churches are each unique, giving the site an architectural diversity that is evident by the human figures of bas-reliefs inside Bet Golgotha, and the colorful paintings of geometrical designs and biblical scenes in Bet Mariam. [3]

Moldings and string courses divide larger structural shapes into smaller sections in many of the churches. [3]

The construction of the churches are thought to have taken place in three phases. [4]

All 11 churches were the result of a process using the basic tools of hammers and chisels to excavate trenches surrounding the monolithic and semi-monolithic structures, as well as a system of tunnels which connected two separate groups of the churches with each other out of the scoriaceous basalt. [1] [8] The "construction" was done from top to bottom.

Religious significance and function

The Churches of Lalibela hold important religious significance for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Together they form a pilgrimage site with particular spiritual and symbolic value, with a layout representing the holy city of Jerusalem. The site continues to be used for daily worship and prayer, the celebration of religious festivals like Timkat and Genna, as a home to clergy, and as a place which increasingly brings together religious adherents and leaders every year. [9] [3]

Conservation

Several recent conservation and restoration projects have been implemented at the site, but have been flawed in execution. A project in which the American Embassy is funding the restoration of Bet Gabriel-Rafael and subsequently Bet Golgotha-Mikael has seen issues emerge between the various parties involved in the project regarding understanding of its full scope. There has been a lack of adequate communication and sharing of information regarding project plans between the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) and the local committee and church. [10]

With funding from the EU, four shelters were erected in 2008 to cover five of the site's churches in an attempt to provide a temporary mode of protection for the structures until a more long-term solution could be decided upon. [11] However, the shelters have remained in place now for far longer than they were meant to stay standing, and now consequently pose serious dangers to the buildings underneath as they threaten to collapse due to their heavy weight among other factors. The ARCCH Director has indicated that the shelters must be removed, however there are not yet any definitive plans in place for their removal and what will be done afterward. [10]

List of churches

ImageNameEnglish nameLocationNotes
Bete Giyorgis 01.jpg Biete Giorgis (ቤተ ጊዮርጊስ)House of St. George 12°01′54″N39°02′28″E / 12.03174°N 39.04113°E / 12.03174; 39.04113
Independent		Shaped in a cruciform plan.
Lalibela, bet danagel, passaggio esterno 01.jpg Biete Denagel (ቤተ ደናግል)House of VirginsNorth group
Bet Golgotha (5497902954).jpg Biete Golgotha Mikael (ቤተ ጎልጎታ ሚካኤል)House of Golgotha MikaelNorth groupHas replicas of the tomb of Christ, and of Adam, and the crib of the Nativity. [7]
Bete Maryam 01.jpg Biete Maryam (ቤተ ማርያም)House of Mary 12°02′01″N39°02′36″E / 12.03371°N 39.04333°E / 12.03371; 39.04333
North group		Has a painted ceiling depicting various biblical scenes.
Lalibela, chiesa di bete medhane alem, esterno 08,0.jpg Biete Medhane Alem (ቤተ መድሃኒ አለም)House of the Saviour of the World 12°02′01″N39°02′37″E / 12.0337°N 39.0437°E / 12.0337; 39.0437
North group		Home to the Lalibela Cross. Believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world. [7]
Bete Mesqel.jpg Biete Meskel (ቤተ መስቀል)House of the Cross 12°02′02″N39°02′36″E / 12.033941°N 39.0434°E / 12.033941; 39.0434
North group
Bete Abba Libanos.jpg Biete Abba Libanos (ቤተ አባ ሊባኖስ)House of Abbot Libanos 12°01′53″N39°02′43″E / 12.03141°N 39.04518°E / 12.03141; 39.04518
South group
Lalibela, chiesa di bete amanuel, esterno 01,0.jpg Biete Amanuel (ቤተ አማኑኤል)House of Emmanuel 12°01′55″N39°02′44″E / 12.03182°N 39.04556°E / 12.03182; 39.04556
South group
Lalibela, bete gabriel-rufael, esterno 05.jpg Biete Gabriel-Rufael (ቤተ ገብሬል ሩፋኤል)House of Gabriel Raphael 12°01′52″N39°02′41″E / 12.03120°N 39.04464°E / 12.03120; 39.04464
South group
Lalibela, bete lehem, 01.jpg Biete Lehem (ቤተ ልሄም)House of Holy Bread 12°01′54″N39°02′40″E / 12.03169°N 39.04451°E / 12.03169; 39.04451
South group
BietMercureosLalibela.JPG Biete Qeddus Mercoreus (ቤተ ማርቆርዮስ)House of St. Mercoreos 12°01′54″N39°02′44″E / 12.03157°N 39.04548°E / 12.03157; 39.04548
South group

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monolithic church</span> Church made up of single block of stone

A monolithic church or rock-hewn church is a church made from a single block of stone. Because freestanding rocks of sufficient size are rare, such edifices are usually hewn into the ground or into the side of a hill or mountain. They can be of comparable architectural complexity to constructed buildings.

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The Church of Saint George is one of eleven rock-hewn monolithic churches in Lalibela, a town in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Originally named Roha (Warwar), the historical and religious site was named Lalibela after the King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned its construction. He is regarded as a saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalibela</span> Town in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Lalibela is a town in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Lasta district and North Wollo Zone, it is a tourist site for its famous rock-cut monolithic churches. The whole of Lalibela is a large and important site for the antiquity, medieval, and post-medieval civilization of Ethiopia. To Christians, Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, and a center of pilgrimage.

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The Zagwe dynasty was a medieval Agaw Orthodox Christian monarchy that ruled the northern parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Agaw are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the northern highlands of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. Centered at Roha, it ruled large parts of the territory from approximately 900 to 1270 CE, when the last Zagwe King Za-Ilmaknun was killed in battle by the forces of the Amhara King Yekuno Amlak. The Zagwe are most famous for their king Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, who is credited with having constructed the rock-hewn monolithic churches of Lalibela.

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The Agaw or Agew are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the northern highlands of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. They speak the Agaw languages, also known as the Central Cushitic languages, which belong to the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, and are therefore closely related to peoples speaking other Cushitic languages.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biete Amanuel</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biete Abba Libanos</span> Monolithic church in Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

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References

  1. 1 2 Williams, Frances M. (2016-03-21). Understanding Ethiopia : geology and scenery. Cham. ISBN   9783319021805. OCLC   945445084.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. 1 2 Lindahl, Bernhard (2005). "Local History of Ethiopia" (PDF). Nordic Africa Institute .
  3. 1 2 3 4 Windmuller-Luna, Kristen (September 2014). "The Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela". Metropolitan Museum of Art . Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  4. 1 2 Sani, Federico; Moratti, Giovanna; Coli, Massimo; Laureano, Pietro; Rovero, Luisa; Tonietti, Ugo; Coli, Niccolò (March 27, 2012). "Integrated geological-architectural pilot study of the Biet Gabriel-Rufael rock hewn church in Lalibela, northern Ethiopia". Italian Journal of Geosciences. 131 (2): 171–186. doi:10.3301/IJG.2011.26 – via Silverchair.
  5. ↑ Fauvelle-Aymar, François-Xavier; Bruxelles, Laurent; Mensan, Romain; Bosc-Tiessé, Claire; Derat, Marie-Laure; Fritsch, Emmanuel (2010-12-01). "Rock-cut stratigraphy: sequencing the Lalibela churches". Antiquity. 84 (326): 1135–1150. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00067132. ISSN   0003-598X. S2CID   130648151.
  6. ↑ "UNESCO/ICOMOS Mission Report; Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (Ethiopia); 7–12 March 2007". World Heritage Centre . 2007.
  7. 1 2 3 UNESCO. "Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela". World Heritage Centre .
  8. ↑ Bosc-Tiessé, Claire; Fauvelle, François-Xavier; Bruxelles, Laurent; Derat, Marie-Laure; Gleize, Yves; Mensan, Romain (2014-11-01). "The Lalibela Rock Hewn Site and its Landscape (Ethiopia): An Archaeological Analysis". Journal of African Archaeology . 12 (2): 141–164. doi:10.3213/2191-5784-10261. ISSN   1612-1651.
  9. ↑ AARCH (2015). "A Management Plan for the Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela World Heritage Site, Ethiopia". World Heritage Centre .
  10. 1 2 Woldeyes, Yirga Gelaw (14 October 2018). "Preliminary Report: Conservation Concerns for the Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches" (PDF). Curtin University .
  11. ↑ "Report of the UNESCO/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission to Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (Ethiopia), 20–25 May 2018". World Heritage Centre . 2018.
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