Alicia Ortego
The Church and the Cross
Bet Giyorgis, or Church of Saint George, is one of the most surprising and unique churches that can be found in Lalibela. It's unique because it belongs to a complex of 11 churches (all considered UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1978) that remains the main place of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Cool, right? The people who built the church had been inspired by the buildings of Jerusalem from the time of Saladin (XII).
Bet Giyorgis is a perfect monolith that's about 15 feet high (or "deep", as it is completely dug deep into the rock). It is accessed through a sort of passageway also cut into the rock that's full of green moss and humidity.
You can visit the interior (barefoot, of course), but the outside is what is really surprising and makes you look and take pictures without stopping. Don't get to close to the edge, people have fallen and died here, which is why now you can see their pictures with candles next to them.
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