Lalībela

Lalībela

historically  Roha 
 religious and pilgrimage centre, north-central Ethiopia. Roha, capital of the Zague dynasty for about 300 years, was renamed for its most distinguished monarch, Lalībela (late 12th–early 13th century), who according to tradition built the 11 monolithic churches for which the place is famous. The churches, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978, were hewn out of solid rock (entirely below ground level) in a variety of styles. Generally, trenches were excavated in a rectangle, isolating a solid granite block. The block was then carved both externally and internally, the work proceeding from the top downward.

      The churches are arranged in two main groups, connected by subterranean passageways. One group, surrounded by a trench 36 feet (11 metres) deep, includes House of Emmanuel, House of Mercurios, Abba Libanos, and House of Gabriel, all carved from a single rock hill. House of Medhane Alem (“Saviour of the World”) is the largest church, 109 feet (33 metres) long, 77 feet (23 metres) wide, and 35 feet (10 metres) deep. House of Giorgis, cruciform in shape, is carved from a sloping rock terrace. House of Golgotha contains Lalībela's tomb, and House of Mariam is noted for its frescoes. The interiors were hollowed out into naves and given vaulted ceilings.

      The expert craftsmanship of the Lalībela churches has been linked with the earlier church of Debre Damo near Aksum and tends to support the assumption of a well-developed Ethiopian tradition of architecture. Emperor Lalībela had most of the churches constructed in his capital, Roha, in the hope of replacing ancient Aksum as a city of Ethiopian preeminence. Restoration work in the 20th century indicated that some of the churches may have been used originally as fortifications and royal residences.

 The churches attract thousands of pilgrims during the major holy day celebrations and are tended by Coptic priests. The town also serves as a market centre for the Amhara people. Pop. (1994) 8,484.
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lalibela — Staat: Äthiopien Koordinaten …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lalibela — (1172 1225), roi d éthiopie de la dynastie Zagoué; canonisé par l église éthiopienne. Il fonda sa capitale à Roha (V. Lalibela). Lalibela (anc. Roha) v. d éthiopie (prov. de Wollo). Ville sainte des chrétiens d éthiopie, elle prit le nom de son… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Lalibela — Infobox Settlement official name = PAGENAME native name = imagesize = 300px image caption = image map caption = pushpin pushpin label position =bottom pushpin mapsize = 300 pushpin map caption =Location in Ethiopia subdivision type = Country… …   Wikipedia

  • Lalibela — 12° 01′ 54″ N 39° 02′ 28″ E / 12.0316, 39.0411 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lalibela — Para el rey etíope del mismo nombre, véase Gebra Maskal Lalibela. Panorámica de Lalibela …   Wikipedia Español

  • Lalibela — Lalibẹla,   nach einem äthiopischen König Lalibela der Sagwedynastie (12./13. Jahrhundert) benannter Ort im äthiopischen Amharenhochland. König Lalibela werden auch die dort erhaltenen 11 Felsenkirchen (UNESCO Weltkulturerbe) zugeschrieben,… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Lalibela — Original name in latin Lalbela Name in other language Klippekirkerne i Lalibela, Labibela, Lalibala, Lalibela, Lalbela, Llibal la li bei la, Лалибела State code ET Continent/City Africa/Addis Ababa longitude 12.03333 latitude 39.03333 altitude… …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Lalibela Game Reserve — (Driekoppen,Южно Африканская Республика) Категория отеля: Адрес: Off N2 Natio …   Каталог отелей

  • Lalibela Airport — is an airport in Lalibela, Ethiopia airport codes|LLI|HALL. Located at an elevation of 1958 meters above sea level, this airport has one asphalt runway 2435 meters long by 53 wide. [Figures are from the last publicly accessible version of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Églises creusées dans le roc de Lalibela — Lalibela Église Saint Georges à Lalibela Lalibela (Guèze: ላሊበላ) est une cité monastique située à 2 630 mètres d altitude sur le flanc sud ouest des monts de l ancienne province du Lasta, dans l actuelle région Amhara en Éthiopie. Ville… …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”