World’s Largest Cut Stone Structures of Lilibela, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is the land where the continent’s oldest civilizations were born and left behind their marks in form of some glorious monuments. One can find historical ruins in almost every part of this gorgeous country but a few of them have really made a name for themselves because of not only their beauty and grandeur but also because of them being still a part of the daily life of the Ethiopian nation.

Lilibela is a perfect example of this, these awe inspiring monolithic churches and tombs that were created by cutting gigantic stones provides an insight into just how artistic the ancient Ethiopians were and even today holds a great significance into the religious life of the common Ethiopian. Built in the 12^th century most of these buildings are still in a pretty good shape because of the fact that they are monolithic and also because Ethiopians have put a lot of effort through out their history in preserving them for their next generations. Even today you will find these churches flocked with pilgrims who come there for meditation and for remembering their forefathers.

Lilibela is the perfect symbol of the cut stone art in the world and thousands of tourists head to it each year to watch these magnificent monuments. The town has its own small airport which is well connected with the rest of the country but there are not many direct flights available to it. So you will have to take a cheap flight to Addis Ababa and then get a connecting flight to Lilibela or you can make the journey from Addis by road. Getting there by road has its advantages as you will save quite a lot of your cash by traveling with the bus service and will avoid the hassle at the local airport as cancelation of local flights is almost a norm in Ethiopia.

Although the tourist traffic to Lilibela is increasing with each passing year the tourism infrastructure of the place has remained to the most extent mere basic. But with a little effort you can find a decent hotel to stay in during your vacation.

For exploring the churches properly try getting the services of a seasoned guide, if you are in no mood of spending extra on hiring a guide then first head by yourself to the northern group of the churches. These churches called the Bete Medhane Alem are the largest structures cut out of stone and one can not imagine the effort that was put in their construction keeping in view the fact that the builders were using only the basic construction tools of the 12^th century. The oldest and most sacred section of the churches are called Bete Maryam, these are the churches to which you will find most of the tourists heading to. You will find many pilgrims setting up their camps close to the churches, this is a great idea for your vacation as well because the churches look even more awesome with the large chandeliers lighting them in the dark.