# Gadla Lalibela: The King Who Carved Mountains into Churches

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/gadla-lalibela-the-king-who-carved-mountains-into-churches
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/gadla-lalibela-the-king-who-carved-mountains-into-churches.md
Podcast: [Ethiopia's Ancient Empire: Africa's Hidden Superpower — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654)
Published: 2026-07-16T13:06:55+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/ethiopias-ancient-empire/episode-0163.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/ethiopias-ancient-empire/episode-0163.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/episodes/gadla-lalibela-the-king-who-carved-mountains-into-churches
Duration seconds: 387

## Resource

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life of King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, the 12th-century Zagwe ruler who transformed the rocky highlands of Lasta into a complex of monolithic churches. They discuss the legend of his exile in Jerusalem, his divine vision to create a New Jerusalem in Ethiopia, and the engineering marvel of Beta Giyorgis and the other churches at Lalibela. The conversation also touches on the role of the Tewahedo Church, the Agaw people, and how these structures became a pilgrimage site rivaling the Holy Land. Without re-covering earlier episodes, they focus on the king's own story, the spiritual politics behind the project, and the enduring mystery of how these churches were carved from solid rock. #Lalibela #BetaGiyorgis #GebreMesqelLalibela #ZagweDynasty #Lasta #Roha #Agaw #Tewahedo #MonolithicChurches #NewJerusalem #EthiopianHistory #EastAfrica #MedievalAfrica #RockHewnChurches #Pilgrimage #Engineering #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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