In a Christian kingdom, in the heart of Africa, 900 years ago eleven monolithic churches were hewn on the rock. Legends and traditions try to answer how and why these unique temples were built. Some say that they were constructed to represent the power of the king entirely by native craftsmen, others say that their construction was instructed by God and it was completed with the help of His angels, while others see in them a reproduction of Jerusalem, built with the aid of “white people” and Egyptian refugees. Lalibela, the holy city of Ethiopia, still today continues hiding well its secrets. This project tries to research answers on these questions, examining bibliographical and online, while also taking into account the stories told by local monks and priests, and the photographs that where taken on a travel in this fascinating country, which acted as the inspiration for the undertaking of this research project.

At first there will be a mention on the definition of rock-cut architecture throughout the centuries, in order to familiarize the reader with this unusual kind of architecture. Subsequently there will be an examination of the historical background of the dynasty of Ethiopian Kings that led to King Labella’s ascension, who commissioned the construction of the churches in the city that later took his name. At the same time there will be a recount of the meetings of these temples with different civilizations, via researchers and conquerors. Then, there will be a record of the symbols and architectural features that are common in the eleven churches. Finally, there will be a thorough description with the help of photographs and designs of each of the monolithic temples that stand almost unchanged for nine centuries in the rocks of Lalibela.