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Lalibela [The Mystery of Ethiopia's Extraordinary Excavated Churches]
Sacred Destinations ^
Posted on 03/03/2011 6:48:08 AM PST by marshmallow
click here to read article
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The churches of Lalibela were not constructed — they were excavated. Each church was created by first carving out a wide trench on all four sides of the rock, then painstakingly chiseling out the interior. The largest church is 40 feet high, and the labor required to complete such a task with only hammers and chisels is astounding. More pictures at link.
Comment #2 Removed by Moderator
To: marshmallow
Wow, those pictures are absolutely amazing.
Stunning
3
posted on
03/03/2011 6:53:57 AM PST
by
mel
(I DONATE to FR monthly...Do You?????)
To: marshmallow
Nowhere in the article does it explain why they were built underground. Was it cooler or what?
4
posted on
03/03/2011 6:54:32 AM PST
by
bgill
(Kenyan Parliament - how could a man born in Kenya who is not even a native American become the POTUS)
To: marshmallow
This is fascinating...thanks!
5
posted on
03/03/2011 6:58:29 AM PST
by
SumProVita
(Cogito, ergo...Sum Pro Vita. (Modified Decartes))
To: bgill
That's the mystery.
The churches are entirely hidden from view from all but a short distance away, so one school of thought says that it was to keep them safe from those who might wish to destroy them.
6
posted on
03/03/2011 6:59:13 AM PST
by
marshmallow
("A country which kills its own children has no future" -Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
To: bgill
Nowhere in the article does it explain why they were built underground. Because that's where the rock was.
7
posted on
03/03/2011 7:02:57 AM PST
by
Oberon
(Big Brutha Be Watchin'.)
To: marshmallow; fabian
Wow, that is amazing. Thanks for this....never heard of them before.
8
posted on
03/03/2011 7:03:12 AM PST
by
abigail2
To: abigail2
The orthodox Ethiopian church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. Supposedly founded by the Apostle Mark in 45 AD. Amazingly enough, one can go to youtube.com and hear orthodox Ethiopian church hymns.
Try it you may like it.
To: marshmallow
The amount of skill involved in removing the surrounding stone is amazing~
10
posted on
03/03/2011 7:20:10 AM PST
by
OpusatFR
To: marshmallow
One of the parishioners at our Greek Orthodox parish is from Lalibela. His wife’s family is from Axum, also mentioned in the article. They are very devout Orthodox people.
They had a baby girl three years ago. They named her Martha, “after Martha Washington because she is an American baby!” You just gotta love these folks!
11
posted on
03/03/2011 7:31:39 AM PST
by
Kolokotronis
(Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated)
To: SunkenCiv
To: marshmallow
fascinating. thank you marshmallow
of course “Miss Geography Dolly Cali” had to go to Google Maps to see where in the heck Lalibela was. (I SORT OF KNOW WHERE Ethiopia is in Africa!)
13
posted on
03/03/2011 8:26:02 AM PST
by
DollyCali
(Don't tell God how big your storm is... tell your storm how BIG your God is!)
To: DollyCali
14
posted on
03/03/2011 8:28:13 AM PST
by
marshmallow
("A country which kills its own children has no future" -Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
To: bgill; marshmallow
***Nowhere in the article does it explain why they were built underground. Was it cooler or what?***
Many, many years ago a NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine had an article about Ethieopian churches.
In the article it said the moslems destroyed so many churches that the Christians began to hack new churches ot of living rock that could not be burned.
15
posted on
03/03/2011 9:52:29 AM PST
by
Ruy Dias de Bivar
(Visit the TOMMY FRANKS MILITARY MUSEUM in HOBART, OK. I did, well worth it!)
To: Kolokotronis
“They are very devout Orthodox people.”
With Lent arriving within days, food is on my mind!
The combination of Greek cooking and Ethiopean dishes is causing me to drool.
16
posted on
03/03/2011 10:10:56 AM PST
by
OpusatFR
To: OpusatFR; Kolokotronis
The combination of Greek cooking and Ethiopean dishes is causing me to drool. My love of Greek cooking runs strictly to roast lamb and ouzo. Often in combination...
17
posted on
03/03/2011 10:47:30 AM PST
by
MarkBsnr
(I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
To: MarkBsnr
"
My love of Greek cooking runs strictly to roast lamb and ouzo. Often in combination... "
Hopefully not during Great Lent!
18
posted on
03/03/2011 1:03:33 PM PST
by
Kolokotronis
(Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated)
To: OpusatFR; MarkBsnr
"
The combination of Greek cooking and Ethiopean dishes is causing me to drool."
Mix in some good Lebanese/Syrian food and wine from the Bekaa Valley and you've gone to culinary heaven! I expect I'll be eating lentils and cheese for dinner............oh well!
19
posted on
03/03/2011 1:06:36 PM PST
by
Kolokotronis
(Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated)
To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
20
posted on
03/03/2011 3:24:57 PM PST
by
bgill
(Kenyan Parliament - how could a man born in Kenya who is not even a native American become the POTUS)
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