Lalibela Churches Visit
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“Lalibela”
My parents planned to take the whole family out of the city and visit Lalibela Churches one of the most historical places in Ethiopia. I was very excited and curious for what I was going to see. The Lalibela churches is not like the regular church that I used to go every Sunday but one of the most spectacular and sacred places that you could find in Ethiopia. I knew that it was going to be an exciting adventure to experience.
Lalibela is a 2 day trip by driving from the capital city Addis Ababa. We started our trip early in the morning towards the north; it was not my first time traveling outside the city but the sights and sounds that nature provides always satisfies my spirits. The ride was faster than we estimated and we got to a town called Gondar just before midnight. It was a couple of miles to Lalibela from where we were so we decided to crash the night in Gondar and start our road to Lalibela early in the morning.
Lalibela is the location of the famous “Rock-Hewn Churches” that were built by king Lalibela in the Twelve century. According to the locals, the building process was done in a matter of Twenty Three days with the help of angelic forces. Locals believe that angels helped to finish the churches. When I first saw the churches I was amazed by the skills of the people who built it 800 years ago. Regardless of how long it took to create them or the 40,000 person workforce that scientists believe would be required for the task, they are fantastic creations purely Ethiopian in the characteristics of the Aksumite shaped windows and doors. I saw a lot of tourists from around the world visiting the churches, I remember one of the tourists his name is Muller and he is from Germany, he was asking me questions guessing that I would know about the place but I told him it was my first time too. I kind of felt embarrassed because I couldnt explain my own history. Muller told me he was touring across Africa and he said he have been in Angola, Zimbabwe and Kenya before coming to Ethiopia. And he said he is witnessing something extraordinary in Ethiopia than any other place he has been to. I agreed with a big smile on my face and said to him, I am just like you who came from the Capital city and havent seen this place until now however, its true that its astonishing.
What makes these churches wonders of the World is the fact that they were all carved directly into the surrounding rock and then the masons went further and actually separated the churches completely from the surrounding rock by making all 4 sides free of any contact with the original stone. The most famous church in Lalibela is “Bet Giorgis” which is beautifully detailed church but there are 10 other churches that each have their own unique style and have mazes of tunnels and deep gorges to get lost in before you reach them; it was a fantastic stuff! I separated