The cross roof
A nested triple cross.
Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Thomas Fuhrmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sailko — CC BY 3.0 · Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sailko — CC BY 3.0
The Church of Saint George, known as Bete Giyorgis, is one of eleven rock-hewn churches in the town of Lalibela in the Amhara Region, on the UNESCO list. It astonishes at first sight, as it stands not above the ground but below it, cut as one piece from the rock in the shape of a cross. The place is sacred and alive for Ethiopian Christians. The church was carved downwards from volcanic rock, with no other building material used. It dates from the late 12th or early 13th century, under King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who gave the town its name. The churches are said to have been designed to represent Jerusalem, and the trenches between them carry symbolic names. You stand at the edge of the pit and look down at the roof with its nested triple cross, then descend by a narrow cut passage to the court around it. You see carved windows, steps and doors, with natural yellow colours on the walls. From above it looks beautiful at sunset. Keep quiet, take off your shoes if you enter, and do not photograph worshippers without permission. It is about 1 km from central Lalibela. The ground is uneven and the passages narrow, so wear shoes that are easy to take off. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to the Amhara region, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
A nested triple cross.
A narrow way down.
From the edge of the pit.
Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
It was carved downwards as one piece from volcanic rock.
Check official guidance first, as the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the Amhara region.