The Ethiopian government claims that its forces and allies have retaken Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Amhara area of the country.
Lalibela, a pilgrimage site for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and home to 11 mediaeval rock-cut churches, was conquered in early August by Tigrayan forces who had been fighting Ethiopia’s federal government for more than a year.
“The historic town of Lalibela has been liberated,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said in a tweet on Wednesday, as it announced the seizure of a number of towns north of the capital, Addis Ababa.
The recapture of the town, which is one of Africa’s most famous sights, is considered as a boost for Abiy’s government, which said last week that he would head to the battlefield to lead federal soldiers against their opponents.
Originally known as Roha, the town was renamed Lalibela after Ethiopia’s 12th-century monarch.
During his rule, the town’s most famous churches were carved out of stone to resemble a new Jerusalem, the spiritual home of all Christians around the world. It is thought to have been influenced by the king’s trip to Jerusalem. The churches are reported to have been constructed in only 24 years.
Lalibela’s tomb is housed in the House of Golgotha, one of the most revered churches in Jerusalem.
Four of the churches stand alone, while the other seven are carved into the rock. Doors, windows, columns, multiple floors, trenches, and ceremonial routes were chiselled out of the monolithic blocks, some with access to hermit caves and catacombs.
In 1978, the town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Until the COVID-19 pandemic, Lalibela was also a popular tourist destination for those seeking to see the holy sites and participate in sacred rites, bringing in much-needed cash and job opportunities for the locals.
The war in northern Ethiopia has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over two million, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis and economic scars.
Four of the churches stand alone, while the other seven are carved into the rock. Doors, windows, columns, multiple floors, trenches, and ceremonial routes were chiselled out of the monolithic blocks, some with access to hermit caves and catacombs.
In 1978, the town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Until the COVID-19 pandemic, Lalibela was also a popular tourist destination for those seeking to see the holy sites and participate in sacred rites, bringing in much-needed cash and job opportunities for the locals.
The war in northern Ethiopia has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over two million, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis and economic scars.
Four of the churches stand alone, while the other seven are carved into the rock. Doors, windows, columns, multiple floors, trenches, and ceremonial routes were chiselled out of the monolithic blocks, some with access to hermit caves and catacombs.
In 1978, the town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Until the COVID-19 pandemic, Lalibela was also a popular tourist destination for those seeking to see the holy sites and participate in sacred rites, bringing in much-needed cash and job opportunities for the locals.
The war in northern Ethiopia has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over two million, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis and economic scars.
