Photo: New Business Ethiopia

Read more from source

The Church of Saint George was carved downwards from a type of volcanic tuff. This is the sole architectural material that was used in the structure. It has been dated to the late 12th or early 13th century AD, and thought to have been constructed during the reign of King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, of the late Zagwe dynasty.

Source: “Eighth Wonder Of The World”: The Sacred Orthodox Rock Church Of Saint George In Lalibela, Ethiopia

Lalibela, Ethiopia’s New Jerusalem. Known as the Land of Origin, Ethiopia has a remarkable diversity which is reflected across its 12 provinces and nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Source: Lalibela, Ethiopia’s New Jerusalem. | The Incidental Tourist.

Dating back to the 12th and 13th Centuries, the churches are designated a World Heritage site.

Source: Exploring the churches carved from rock

In the 12th century, King Lalibela of Ethiopia received a vision from God, who told him to carve 11 churches out of the local stone. This New Jerusalem, as the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela were known, kept pilgrims from having to make the dangerous trek to Jerusalem to honor their God.

Source: The Magnificent Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

Ethiopia – Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

The rock churches of Lalibela are among the main attractions of any trip to Ethiopia. The stone monuments of faith belong since 1978 to the Unesco world cultural heritage. The town looks inconspicuous and dusty.

Read more from source: The rock churches of Lalibela in the highlands of Ethiopia

Ethiopia – Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

For centuries, Christian pilgrims — and tourists —  have travelled to the mountainous region of northern Ethiopia to visit the 11 spectacular medieval churches carved out of rock. After Muslim conquests blocked Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land, King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, who ruled Ethiopia in the late 12th century and early 13th century, set out to construct a “New Jerusalem,” which remains a pilgrimage site and place of devotion to this day.

Source: Ethiopia’s rock-hewn churches are an ancient wonder of the world

Ethiopia – Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

The World Heritage site draws visitors and pilgrims with its monolithic churches carved into the ground.