The mysterious church built by 'angels' in Africa

Legend has it that people will take care of the construction of the Lalibela church during the day, while the angels will help at night.

The rocky church architecture in the small town Lalibela is the most unique proof of the special culture of Ethiopia - a multi-ethnic country with many unique and exotic traditions.

Stone church Lalibeta about sunset.

The town of Lalibela is located at an altitude of nearly 2,500m above the sea level on the Ethiopian plateau. Around the town are rocky and arid areas. King Lalibela (reigned from 1187 to 1221) is a devout person.

Hoping to build a town into a place like Jerusalem - where the reputation of both religious and architectural aspects is reverberated, he created a strange architectural style to create a holy place with sacred symbols. Here, in the thirteenth century, devout Christians began chiseling red volcanic rocks to 'build' up to 13 churches.

The cliff has become stained with time.

4 of those churches were completed independently of the rock and only the foundation was attached to this mother stone. The remaining 9 churches are still attached to the stone and only the surface is 'liberated' from the rock.

Visit this town, where you will see 11 remaining ancient cathedrals. These innovative works have turned the mountain town of Lalibela into a proud pilgrimage site of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.

Despite having to go through a difficult journey, many people came here to witness the majestic structures, kissed the ancient stone walls or quietly prayed to read the sutras to show their faith in religion and hope. I and my family will be blessed.

There are many stories rumored around the construction of this stone church. Among them is the legend that people will take care of the construction of the stone church during the day, while the angels will help speed up the progress at night.

Stone church from above.

St. George is the one who oversees the work of those angels. Perhaps because of that, the construction of Lalibela was completed at a remarkable speed, about 23 years and the church is also known by the name of St. George's Church.

Painting pictures inside the church.

11 churches of lava rock divided into 3 clusters, harmonizing to create an overall architectural complex, connected by tunnels and corridors. The cathedral was dug deep from 7 - 12m in the mountain, so initially the construction work was extremely difficult.

First, the participants in the work must find large, crack-free lava stones, remove soft rocks on the surface and separate from the mountain. Then, from these large stones, people are chiseling, so walls, ceilings, doors, pillars .

Pilgrims from other places came to pray for crowded.

Built in a cross shape, a sophisticated sculpture window, St. George's Church has a complex system of drains, tunnels, underground walkways and many underground and walled buildings. rock. When the Sun descends, the church appears pink and then turns to gold and moss green before the darkness envelops.

Thanks to the impressive architecture and the influence of Christianity, this church was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. Five years ago, UNESCO decided to set up the covers to protect part of the public. this process.

According to experts, this may be unsightly but very important for protecting the church intact. In the future, Ethiopia will continue to make positive changes to become a sacred site for believers, where it can sense the breath of life through ancient stone walls.