architecture
Biete Ghiorgis — Saint George’s Church
A cross-shaped church rises from a court carved into Lalibela’s living rock.
The story behind the place
At Saint George’s church, the roof reveals the cross-shaped plan before you reach the doors below. Medieval craftspeople cut away the surrounding rock, leaving a monolithic church with walls, windows and a stepped base. It stands apart from Lalibela’s other rock-hewn churches, linked to them by trenches. This remarkable place is also part of a living religious landscape.
Explore on the globe →Find Biete Ghiorgis — Saint George’s Church on the map, record the discovery in your travel journal and continue exploring nearby places.
Read more from the sources
- Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela — UNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org
- Lalibela rock-hewn churches — Zamani Projectwww.zamaniproject.org
