Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LALIBELA & AROUND
If you're only going to see one thing in Ethiopia, this should be it. The rock-hewn churches
are magical and the religious passion of Orthodox Ethiopians remains mystical. Many
people consider their days here as the highlight of their Ethiopian adventure.
Lalibela
POP 19,100 / ELEV 2630M
I am weary of writing more about these buildings, because it seems to me that I shall not be
believed if I write more…but swear I by God in Whose power I am, that all that is written
is the truth, and there is much more than what I have written, and I have left it that they
may not tax me with its being falsehood.
Francisco Alvares (early 16th-century Portuguese writer) from
Ho Preste Joam das Indias:
Verdadera informa-cam das terras do Preste Joam
(1540)
Lalibela is history and mystery frozen in stone, its soul alive with the rites and awe of
Christianity at its most ancient and unbending. No matter what you've heard about Lali-
bela, no matter how many pictures you've seen of its breathtaking rock-hewn churches,
nothing can prepare you for the reality of seeing it for yourself. It's not only a World Herit-
age Site, but truly a world wonder. Spending a night vigil here during one of the big reli-
gious festivals, when white-robed pilgrims in their hundreds crowd the courtyards of the
churches, is to witness Christianity in its most raw and powerful form. Unfortunately, for
both independent travellers and the locals who benefit from tourism, the new Birr1000
(tripled from the previous Birr350) entry fee means that some people now choose not to
come here.
With its cobblestone streets, distant views, good food and lack of cars, the town itself is a
pleasant surprise.
History
Lalibela, initially known as Roha, was the Zagwe dynasty's capital in the 12th and 13th
centuries. In a rare consensus, scholars and local tradition both claim that the churches date
from around the time of King Lalibela (r 1181-1221). But, the consensus is thrown out the
window for everything else.
