Lalibela's early rock-cut churches begun

1150

In the Ethiopian highlands, the Zagwe kings began commissioning churches carved directly down into the living basalt, their roofs level with the surrounding ground and their interiors hollowed out in the shape of cruciform basilicas. The work would continue for a generation or more. These monolithic churches, among the most remarkable architectural achievements in Africa, remain active places of worship to this day, their congregations filing into chambers hewn from solid rock.