The Churchs at LALIBELA

 

2 .The various materials are  use to make the Churches at Lalibela 

3  How are they built? 

4  Who builds them?

5)  What are the different structures of buildings in your area?

6   Think about the shapes andstyles of these buildings. Are they built this way for a reason?37  What are the similarities and differences between various Churches at Lalibela 

 

***Information****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBq_zOzhTqw

Lalībela, historical name Roha, religious and pilgrimage centre, north-central Ethiopia. Roha, capital of the Zagwe dynasty for about 300 years, was renamed for its most distinguished monarch, Lalībela (late 12th–early 13th century), who, according to tradition, built the 11 monolithic churches for which the place is famous. The churches, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978, were hewn out of solid rock (entirely below ground level) in a variety of styles. Generally, trenches were excavated in a rectangle, isolating a solid granite block. The block was then carved both externally and internally, the work proceeding from the top downward

The churches are arranged in two main groups, connected by subterranean passageways. One group, surrounded by a trench 36 feet (11 metres) deep, includes House of Emmanuel, House of Mercurios, Abba Libanos, and House of Gabriel, all carved from a single rock hill. House of Medhane Alem (“Saviour of the World”) is the largest church, 109 feet (33 metres) long, 77 feet (23 metres) wide, and 35 feet (10 metres) deep. House of Giyorgis, cruciform in shape, is carved from a sloping rock terrace. House of Golgotha contains Lalībela’s tomb, and House of Mariam is noted for its frescoes. The interiors were hollowed out into naves and given vaulted ceilings.

The expert craftsmanship of the Lalībela churches has been linked with the earlier church of Debre Damo near Aksum and tends to support the assumption of a well-developed Ethiopian tradition of architecture. Emperor Lalībela had most of the churches constructed in his capital, Roha, in the hope of replacing ancient Aksum as a city of Ethiopian preeminence. Restoration work in the 20th century indicated that some of the churches may have been used originally as fortifications and royal residences.

The churches attract thousands of pilgrims during the major holy day celebrations and are tended by priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The town also serves as a market centre for the Amhara people. Pop. (2007) 17,367. Around the same time, in 1187, Jerusalem was captured by the Muslim sultan Saladin, and religious conflict prevented Ethiopian Orthodox Christians from making pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Lalibela’s ruler, King Lalibela, commissioned the rock-cut churches to serve as a ‘New Jerusalem’ and an alternative place of pilgrimage for the country’s faithful. The layout and names of the churches were meant as a symbolic representation of Jerusalem, where Lalibela spent time as a child.  

  Architecture & Layout 

Lalibela’s churches are unique in that they are hewn from a single piece of living rock. Instead of rising above ground level, they stand in sunken pits with their roofs on the same level as the surrounding landscape. Doors, windows, columns, and other decorative details were all painstakingly chiseled out by hand, in addition to an extensive system of drainage ditches and connecting trenches, some studded with hermit caves and shrines. In total, UNESCO recognizes 11 churches assembled into two distinct groups on either side of the River Jordan. 

   They are as follows: 

The Northern Group 

• Biete Medhani Alem (House of the Savior of the World)
• Biete Mariam (House of Mary)
• Biete Maskal (House of the Cross)
• Biete Denagel (House of the Virgins)
• Biete Golgotha Mikael (House of Golgotha Mikael)

The Southern Group 

• Biete Amanuel (House of Emmanuel)
• Biete Qeddus Mercoreus (House of St. Mercurius)
• Biete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot Libanos)
• Biete Gabriel Raphael (House of Gabriel Raphael)
• Biete Lehem (House of Holy Bread)

The 11th church is set apart from the others, but still connected via a series of trenches. It is known as Biete Ghiorgis, or the House of St. George.  

Top Things to See 

All 11 of the Lalibela churches are worth exploring, and their proximity to one another makes it easy to do so. However, there are a few that stand out for one reason or another.  

Biete Medhani Alem 

With no fewer than five aisles, Biete Medhani Alem is the largest monolithic church in the world. The church is also exceptional for the Lalibela Cross, a processional cross thought to have been carved by King Lalibela himself during the 12th century. It is one of Ethiopia’s most precious religious artifacts, and on Sundays, it is used to bless worshippers in need of healing.  

Biete Ghiorgis 

Arguably the finest and best-preserved of the Lalibela churches, Biete Ghiorgis is distinctive for its shape, which resembles a perfectly proportioned Greek cross. Inside, you can admire 800-year-old olivewood boxes whose carving is attributed to King Lalibela; and a 16th-century painting of St. George slaying the dragon.  

Biete Mariam 

Despite its relatively small size, Biete Mariam is the most sacred church for pilgrims (due to its dedication to the Virgin Mary) and also probably the oldest. Its beautiful interior decor includes colorful early frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible, and some intricately carved columns and arches. It is also the only church to include a set of porches.  

Biete Golgotha Mikael 

Unfortunately, this church is off-limits to women. However, male visitors should step inside to admire life-size bas-relief sculptures of the 12 apostles. Biete Golgotha Mikael is also home to the Selassie Chapel, which is said to contain the tomb of King Lalibela. It is one of the most sacred areas of the entire complex, and as such, closed to the public. 

The churches are used for daily worship and prayer, and host several religious festivals throughout the year. Of these, the most impressive is Genna, the Ethiopian Orthodox version of Christmas. Held annually on January 7, the celebration sees tens of thousands of pilgrims flock to Lalibela to take part in candlelit vigils and to watch the priests perform the woreb, a musical representation of the birth of Christ. 

 

Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

The 11 medieval monolithic cave churches of this 13th-century ‘New Jerusalem’ are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia near a traditional village with circular-shaped dwellings. Lalibela is a high place of Ethiopian Christianity, still today a place of pilmigrage and devotion.

Brief synthesis

In a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, some 645 km from Addis Ababa, eleven medieval monolithic churches were carved out of rock. Their building is attributed to King Lalibela who set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New Jerusalem’, after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the holy Land. Lalibela flourished after the decline of the Aksum Empire.

There are two main groups of churches – to the north of the river Jordan: Biete Medhani Alem  (House of the Saviour of the World), Biete  Mariam (House of Mary), Biete  Maskal (House of the Cross), Biete Denagel (House of Virgins), Biete Golgotha Mikael (House of Golgotha Mikael); and to the south of the river, Biete Amanuel (House of Emmanuel), Biete Qeddus Mercoreus (House of St. Mercoreos), Biete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot Libanos), Biete Gabriel Raphael (House of Gabriel Raphael), and Biete Lehem (House of Holy Bread). The eleventh church, Biete Ghiorgis (House of St. George), is isolated from the others, but connected by a system of trenches.

The churches were not constructed in a traditional way but rather were hewn from the living rock of monolithic blocks. These blocks were further chiselled out, forming doors, windows, columns, various floors, roofs etc. This gigantic work was further completed with an extensive system of drainage ditches, trenches and ceremonial passages, some with openings to hermit caves and catacombs.

Biete Medhani Alem, with its five aisles, is believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world, while Biete Ghiorgis has a remarkable cruciform plan. Most were probably used as churches from the outset, but Biete Mercoreos and Biete Gabriel Rafael may formerly have been royal residences. Several of the interiors are decorated with mural paintings.

Near the churches, the village of Lalibela has two storey round houses, constructed of local red stone, and known as the Lasta Tukuls. These exceptional churches have been the focus of pilgrimage for Coptic Christians since the 12th century.

Criterion (i): All the eleven churches represent a unique artistic achievement, in their execution, size and the variety and boldness of their form.

Criterion (ii): The King of Lalibela set out to build a symbol of the holy land, when pilgrimages to it were rendered impossible by the historical situation. In the Church of Biet Golgotha, are replicas of the tomb of Christ, and of Adam, and the crib of the Nativity. The holy city of Lalibela became a substitute for the holy places of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and as such has had considerable influence on Ethiopian Christianity.

Criterion (iii): The whole of Lalibela offers an exceptional testimony to the medieval and post-medieval civilization of Ethiopia, including, next to the eleven churches, the extensive remains of traditional, two storey circular village houses with interior staircases and thatched roofs.

Integrity 

The drainage ditches were filled up with earth for several centuries, before being cleared in the 20th century, and have been disrupted by seismic activity. This has resulted in a severe degradation of the monuments from water damage, and most of them are now considered to be in a critical condition.

Structural problems have been identified in Biet Amanuel where an imminent risk of collapse is possible, and other locations need to be monitored. Serious degradation of the paintings inside the churches has occurred over the last thirty years. Sculptures and bas-reliefs (such as at the entrance of Biet Mariam) have also been severely damaged, and their original features are hardly recognisable. All of this threatens the integrity of the property.

Temporary light-weight shelters have now been installed over some churches and these, while offering protection, impact on visual integrity.

Other threats include encroachment on the environment of the churches by new public and private construction, housing associated with the traditional village adjacent to the property, and from the infrastructure of tourism.

Authenticity

The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela are still preserved in their natural settings. The association of the rock-hewn churches and the traditional vernacular circular houses, in the surrounding area, still demonstrate evidences of the ancient village layout. The original function of the site as a pilgrimage place still persists and provides evidence of the continuity of social practices. The intangible heritages associated with church practices are still preserved.

Protection and management requirements 

For centuries, the Church and State have been jointly responsible for the holy site of Lalibela. Home to a large community of priests and monks, it is a living site which draws many pilgrims to celebrate the great feasts of the Ethiopian Christian calendar. This active and energetic perspective is central to the management of the site.

No special legal framework is provided to protect the Rock-Hewn Churches except the general law, Proclamation No. 209/2000, which has also established the institution in charge, the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH). With the Ethiopian Church as a partner, the ARCCH has a representative in Lalibela but a principle difficulty has been the harmonization of the different projects and effective coordination between the partners.

The property is administered under the regional and the Lasta district culture and tourism office. To prevent the property from the impact of development, a draft proclamation has been prepared but this is not yet ratified. A management plan has not yet been established. A four-year Conservation Plan was established in 2006 but this has yet to be fully implemented.

The boundary for the property has not yet been clearly delineated and a buffer zone has not yet been provided.

There is a need for stronger planning controls for the setting of the churches that address housing, land-use tourism and for a management plan to be developed that integrates the Conservation action plan, and addresses the overall sustainable development of the area, with the involvement of the local population