# Lalibela: The Rock-Hewn Jerusalem of Ethiopia

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/lalibela-the-rock-hewn-jerusalem-of-ethiopia
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/lalibela-the-rock-hewn-jerusalem-of-ethiopia.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: 2026-06-14T12:33:50+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/ethiopias-ancient-empire/episode-0099.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/ethiopias-ancient-empire/episode-0099.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/episodes/lalibela-the-rock-hewn-jerusalem-of-ethiopia
Duration seconds: 564

## Resource

In this episode of Ethiopia's Ancient Empire: Africa's Hidden Superpower, Lucas and Luna explore the miraculous rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, carved from solid volcanic tuff in the 12th and 13th centuries. They dive into the reign of King Lalibela, the visionary Zagwe monarch who sought to create a 'New Jerusalem' after Muslim conquests blocked pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The conversation covers the engineering marvels behind churches like Bet Medhane Alem (the largest monolithic church in the world) and Bet Giyorgis (the iconic cross-shaped church), the role of angels and divine intervention in local tradition, the enduring mystery of how they were built without modern tools, and the symbolic geography that recreates biblical sites. They also touch on the later abandonment of Lalibela during the Adal invasions in the 16th century and its rediscovery by the outside world. Listen to learn how faith, stone, and royal ambition created one of the wonders of Africa. #Lalibela #RockHewnChurches #ZagweDynasty #KingLalibela #EthiopianOrthodox #BetMedhaneAlem #BetGiyorgis #MonolithicArchitecture #NewJerusalem #MedievalEthiopia #UNESCOWorldHeritage #EastAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #ReligiousHistory #ArchitecturalHistory #PresterJohn #HornOfAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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