Sankofa stage: Question
In the mountains of Ethiopia, eleven churches were cut out of solid rock in the 12th–13th centuries. Their making is attributed to King Lalibela, who sought to create a “New Jerusalem”.
How they were made
Instead of building upwards with blocks, the builders cut downwards and inwards into the rock, shaping doors, windows, columns and roofs, with trenches, drainage and passages between the churches.
A living place
Lalibela is not only a monument: it remains a place of pilgrimage and worship for Ethiopian Christians.