Lalibela Churches

The second weekend, 12 apostles headed to Lalibela (Jerusalem of Ethiopia) to pilgrim rock-hewn churches built in 12th century by King of Lalibela.  Ethiopia Orthodox church has 250 fasting days a year.  August 7-22 is the 16-day Assumption of  Virgin Mariam fast.  Our visit fell on the end of the fasting celebration.  In addition to the marvel of ancient monolithic rock-hewn churches, we witnessed an ancient ceremony.  Here is a link that you can learn more about the church and fasting. http://www.ethiopianorthodoxchurch.info/CalanderFastsFeastsDays.html

The chanting in Ethiopia church is unique.  Pilgrims take shoes off to enter church, women to the right, men to the left.

Bet Medhani Alem, the largest Rock-hewn Church in the world. It is difficult to capture the grandness of the structure by point of shoot camera.

 

The dark stone  church was filled with pilgrims. To my surprise, my little camera was be able to capture OK images in the darkness without flash.

 

 Smoke of bread baking from Bethlehem, house of bread. The meaning of Bethlehem is new to me.

I was surprised to see the exotic scene in a dark corner of the church.

 

Ceremony at Bet  Maryam

the covered person symbolize the tablet.  Every church has it's own tablet.

 

Images for prayers.

 

Painting inside the House of Mary (Bet Maryam).

CSC girls.  One of the room, filled with paintings, does not allow women to enter.  We decided to take a group photo to protest the discrimination.

 

My favorite church.,  Bet Gerbriel-Refael.  To the left, the reflection of the blue sky is the river of Jordon. The narrow stone wall with more than 20 meter vertical drop on both sides is the path the heaven.  At Ethiopia Christmas, the braves walk across the narrow wall to the heaven.
The church, surrounded by a 5 meter deep rock trench, was the residence of King Lalibela.

We have to walk through a pitch black long tunnel to another church.

The natural trench.  It is fun to craw through the pitch black tunnel and narrow trenches.  The southeast cluster is a giant maze.

Bet Emanuel was the private church of royal family.  The exterior imitates the classical Axumite wood and stone built-up church.

 12 apostles.

 

Bet Abba Libano. It was built overnight by Lalibela's wife Meskel Kebre, assisted by angles, according legends.

 Finally, the landmark cross shaped church, Bet Giyorgis.

 

 

The original tool chest used to store tools when building the church.  The guide demonstrated the mechanism of using two giant screws to open the chest.

 

Body of three prayers dead in cave, flash is still preserved.

 

Lalibela!