Location and Values: The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are located in a remote and mountainous area of northern Ethiopia, about 150 km east of Lake Tana.
There are 11 churches, each one carved out of solid rock and (in many cases) standing free in its own cavernous hole created through the excavation and removal of surrounding rock.
To reach the entrance of each church, people have to descend through a steep channel cut into the rock, or pass through a tunnel from a neighbouring church. The space inside each church is the result of excavating all the rock within, except a few sturdy pillars necessary to support the roof.