Bet Emmanuel

Bet Gebriel Rafael

Bet Abba Libanos

Lalibela has been described as "Africa's Petra," which in my opinion is a disservice. While the imposing churches mysteriously carved into the earth create an amazing subterranean town, they cannot match the beauty or scale of Petra. On the other hand, Petra is an archeological site where a small number of Bedouins make their homes, while Lalibela's churches are actively used daily by locals and far-flung pilgrims—and have been for centuries. High expectations based purely on the aesthetics of the churches and landscape may result in disappointment, when the opportunity to view the strength of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity should be the real draw.

We visited the southeast cluster the second day without Girma. This cluster was more to my liking: the churches are further apart, more distinctive, less cohesive.

Bet Gebriel-Rafael is reached by tunnels and a wooden bridge over a dry moat. Bet Emmanuel, the only freestanding monolith in the southeast cluster, is an architectural marvel with its finely-worked ridged design. And Bet Abba Libanos finally showed me that bit of Petra I'd been missing; an imposing façade carved around a mountain cave.

Bet Giyorgis

Mummified pilgrim

More striking than any of these churches was monolithic Bet Giyorgis, separate from either cluster. Colossal and cross-shaped, this age-streaked church is set deep in the hillside, reached by a narrow set of stairs cut through rock. Mummies of the pilgrims that requested burial here were visible in caves in the walls around the church. Bet Giyorgis' splendor was not yet concealed by scaffolding.

While theoretically we would have heard more information by taking Girma with us to the southeast cluster, it's also quite possible we wouldn't have absorbed it. Considering my tendency to not retain historical facts and preference for independence, exploring Lalibela's churches without a guide was greatly preferred for quietly enjoying the atmosphere.

Priests in the southeastern cluster are friendlier.

Bet Giyorgis, with a view of Lalibela

<   previous      •      next   >