Exploration of the Felsenkirchen von Lalibela

Exploration of the Felsenkirchen von Lalibela

The Felsenkirchen von Lalibela in Ethiopia are the most extraordinary sites in Africa south of the Sahara. Here is what we learned from our three days.

The 11 Felsenkirchen von Lalibela in Ethiopia are a focal point and a place of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Christians. In mid -January, during the festival Timkat (Epiphany), thousands of white -clad believers flow into the churches.

For tourists, the churches of Lalibela carved in the rocks are an inevitable stopover on tours through Ethiopia's historic north district.

The churches in Ethiopia's Lasta Mountains at an altitude of 2,600 m were built in the 13th century on the command of King Lalibela. According to reports, he ordered the construction after he was in 1187 BC. BC had visited Jerusalem just before Muslim troops overran the Holy City. The churches were built around Ethiopia's own section of the Jordan.

from scratch to hewn

The churches were not built from scratch, but instead carved from the city's red volcanic wing. According to legend, the thousands of workers who worked on Lalibela's "new Jerusalem" during the day were accompanied by angels who continued the work at night.

alt = “Felsenkirchen von Lalibela Ethiopia 12 ″> Atlas & Boots Bet Giyorgis (St. George) was hewn from a single rock

The churches have no bricks, no blocks and no traces of joints. Instead, they are carved from individual massive chunks of pink volcanic stint that are located under the slopes of the region. The workers of the 13th century initially dig into a rocky lead, dig a ditch around a single huge boulder and then hit the church from this monolith.

UNESCO status

The churches of Lalibela carved in the rocks were declared one of the originally 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978. The list has grown to over a thousand since then.

Some of the main churches are protected from the elements by the sheet metal provided by UNESCO to prevent erosion. You cannot deny the need for the buildings, but they reduce the majesty of the churches.

alt = “Felsenkirchen von Lalibela Ethiopia 18 ″> Atlas & Boots Several churches are protected with sheet metal

proposed travel route

We spent an afternoon and two more full days to explore the Felsenkirchen of Lalibela, which was more than enough time. It is worth visiting Bet Giyorgis at least twice, including a visit to sunset and again in the morning to avoid the crowds.

We planned our time as follows.

• Day 1 (afternoon): Buy tickets and visit northern churches and Bet Giyorgis
• Day 2: Visit southern churches
• Day 3: Visit from Bet Giyorgis and the northern churches for the second time

If you have a closer schedule, you can do without day 3 and still see everything.

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The northern group consists of six sites: Bet Medhane Alem (House of the Savior in the World), which is considered the largest monolithic church in the world; Bet Maryam (Saint Mary); Bet Denagel; Bet Golgatha, which allegedly contains the grave of King Lalibela; the Selassie chapel; And the grave of Adam.

The southern group consists of four churches: Bet Amanuel, Bet Merkorios (access over a number of dark ditches and tunnels), Bet Abba Lebanos and Bet Gabriel-Rufael.

Bet Giyorgis is located in the southwest alone between the two groups.

tips for visiting Lalibela

• Führer are not necessary, but useful and will prevent advertisers from harassing them
• be careful when taking videos with a professional camera - we were asked to pay more for the use of our small Olympus Toughcam
• no water is sold at the locations, so pack a lot
• If you do not use a guide, ask the ticket inspectors or wake up for help and instructions
• don't miss the tunnel - you are not easy to find, so you may have to ask
• Wear a flashlight for the tunnel sections
• The southern churches are probably better-fewer Unesco roofs
• When advertisers are bothering you, you should say that yesterday you were with a guide
• All places are calmer in the morning
• tuk-tuk drivers are experienced haggling, so be careful if you pay too much! We got advice from our hotel and paid for the following, which seemed fair:
  • 50 Birr from Southern Church's restaurant Ben Ababa on the outskirts
  • 40 Birr from the north to the city of Ben Abeba Restaurant
  • 20 Birr from the city center (Ethiopia Airlines) to the Top Twelve Hotel

Felsenkirchen von Lalibela: The essentials

What: Exploration of the Felsenkirchen von Lalibela.

Where: We stayed in the Top Twelve Hotel, an intimate, located hotel with only 12 rooms (which explains the name). The rooms are clean and functional and offer reliable WiFi - in our experience to be found rarely. However, the real attraction is the extraordinary view of the surrounding hills.

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Atlas & Boots

The English -speaking employees are helpful and like to give tips on activities and restaurants (try the nearby Ben Ababa restaurant for sunset). Top Twelve is a 15 -minute walk from the northern church group and about 25 minutes from the southern group. Alternatively, you can simply stop a passing tuk-tuk (see more information below under "How").

When: The best travel time for Lalibela in Ethiopia is October to March when most parts of the country have pleasant temperatures, blue sky and low rainfall.

like: The admission price for Lalibela is 1,355 Birr per person ($ 50) and includes admission to all Felsenkirchen for a period of four days. We have not booked a guide, but it is a good idea to not only do this for orientation, but also so as not to be bothered by advertisers. Licensed leaders cost 200 Birr ($ 7) per day and can be booked at the cash register.

A TUK TUK from the Top Twelve Hotel shouldn't cost more than 30 Birr (1 USD) to the northern churches and 50 Birr (1.8 USD) to the southern churches. The famous Giyorgis (St. George) lies between the northern and southern clusters.

domestic flights can be taken from Addis Ababa, Bahir, Gondar and Mekele to Lalibela (check the latest routes here). It is much cheaper to book flights in an Ethiopian Airlines office in the country.

Be sure to state whether you have flown internationally with you because you are entitled to a significant discount. An airport transfer to the Top Twelve Hotel costs 100 Birr per person per route. You can book this in advance via the hotel (top12hotel@gmail.com).

overland transfers can be organized by GIRMA Debash, which is connected to the Top Twelve Hotel: hikelalibelatours.com, girmadebash@gmail.com. Note that transfers in Ethiopia are usually organized via a kind of whispering network of drivers so that the organization can take a few days - and can prove to be expensive!

We have booked a transfer from Lalibela to Mekele (290 km) via Girma for $ 2,160 Birr ($ 80) and used this as the basis for calculating other driving prices. Note that you may be asked to pay the driver's return trip if he has not secured any customers for the return trip.

domestic flights are the fastest way to travel to Ethiopia (check the latest routes here). It is much cheaper to book flights in an Ethiopian Airlines office in the country. Be sure to state whether you have flown internationally with you because you are entitled to a significant discount.

Addis Ababa is the most important international airport in the country. Book international flights via skyscanner.net.

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LONELY PLANET ETHIOPIA is a comprehensive travel guide for the country, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights and take less busy roads. If you prefer to travel on a tour, we recommend G Adventures and their Ethiopia tours in small groups.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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