A tour of Lalibella
I woke at six. We climbed the cobblestone road up to the main entrace to the churches in the clear morning light. I wore socks to protect my feet against the fleas said to infest the church carpets. We reached the main gates at seven; Tilahuan was waiting.
He led us back to Bet Medhane Alem and told us the history surrounding the construction of the churches. One legend states that in the 12th century King Lalibella was exiled to Jerusalem. There, he was awed by the buildings he saw and vowed to build a new holy city when he returned to his kingdom. Another legend has it that a heavenly vision directed Lalibella's efforts.
As Tilahuan spoke, singing came from a nearby church. He suggested we visit the priests as they chanted and return to Bet Medhane Alem later. We agreed. As we walked back through the small tunnel to the courtyard surrounding Bet Maryam, the singing became louder. Tilahuan led us to Bet Danaghel, and we could see a large group of priests swaying and chanting before a painting of St. George. A boy played a drum on the floor. To mark time, a sistrum would be swung back and forth. We entered the small church and stood still, watching and listening. Outside, people dropped to their knees to bend and touch their heads to the threshold.
We stood listening for a while before Tilahuan suggested we tour the rest of the churches. He led us back to Bet Medhan Alem and then through the churches in the courtyard. As he led us out of the courtyard along the outer wall, he pointed to small caves used by monks to study and pray. He then led us on a narrow path between the walls to Bet Mikael. Inside, a priest led us to chamber off to the side and we saw two of the most beautiful bas reliefs in Lalibella depicting life-sized carvings of saints.
Tilahuan led us out of the northern group by way of the Tomb of Adam. He suggested we take a break before tackling the eastern group and we readily agreed. We arranged to meet at around noon and Ed and I returned to our hotel for breakfast.
At ten, we found Tilahuan sitting by the road. He suggested we first vist Bet Giyorgis, located just below where we met.
The most famous of all the Lalibella churches, Bet Giyorgis is a free-standing church carved in the shape of a Greek cross. The perfect square cross hovers on the same plane as the rock from which it was freed, and I was surprised to find it so unprotected. Later, I would be able to pick it out from the road, but not knowing exactly where it was, my eye easily skipped over its form, flush with the ground.
Tilahuan led us down into the courtyard of the church. One corner had not been squared. A mound was left to symbolize that of Mt. Ararat. Inside, he pointed out an olive wood box said to have been carved by King Lalibella himself.
Back outside the church, our guide led us up the hill and towards the eastern group of churches. He told us that whereas the northern group symbolized that which is on earth, the eastern group of churches symbolized that which is in heaven. The first to greet us was that of Bet Gabriel-Rufael. Set atop a high column, a deep moat had been carved around it. Tilahuan said that originally there was no bridge upon which to walk to enter, and that angels would carry the faithful over the chasm. Recently, a bridge had been erected and we walked across to the interior.
As we toured the interior, the priest readied the holy relics, holding up the crosses for the requisite photo opportunity. He put on a pair of sunglasses in preparation for flash photography. We told him we'd not use flash and he took them off. Later we realized how cool it would have been if he had kept them on.
As we left and walked through a few corridors to the next church, our guide pointed to a series of windows carved into one wall of a church. He told us that that was a bakery for making the holy bread called Agi Bethlehem. He then told us we had a choice of paths to reach the next church. We could climb out of the trenches and approach from above, or we could walk through a pitch black tunnel, said to represent the hell one must walk through before emerging into heaven. We chose to walk through hell.
Tilahuan led us down into a small opening and soon we were engulfed by darkness. He told us to keep our hand on the right wall and to follow it. He pulled out his cell phone and tried to illuminate his path.
We emerged up out of a trap door into what originally would have been the central chamber of Bet Merkorios, but the roof and walls had crumbled. The sanctuary had remained intact, however, and paintings adorned its walls.
Leaving Bet Merkorios, we walked through some chambers and a small tunnel before descending into the courtyard of Bet Amanuel, a free-standing church surrounded by small chambers in the courtyard walls where pilgrims have been buried. From there it was a short walk to Bet Abba Libanos, a church unique for its construction. A hypogeous church, the roof was left attached to the rock above it, symbolizing its support of the heavens. It is said the church was built in a single night by Lalibella's wife with the help of angels, and that the roof was done in memory of its construction.
On the way out, we ran into Hublia, a friend of Tilahuan. She invited us to her house for coffee and we happily followed her as she led us into the village. There, she introduced us to her sister and mother, and served us coffee. She was interested in tourism and wanted a chance to meet foreigners, but while she prepared coffee, she spoke very little. Tilahuan said her English was fine, but that she was shy.
As we were about to leave we offered to take her and her sister's photographs. They immediately disappeared to change, emerging soon after in full make up. We took their pictures and exchanged addresses. We promised to send them the photos and we took our leave, the sweet taste of the coffee still in our mouths.
