Sure Travel Journey Vol 4.3 Winter 2018 | Page 43

Above: Mountain of Light Church mural, Gondar. Below: Pilgrims en route in Lalibela.
© ARSLANIAN/SHUTTERSTOCK
“
TODAY A UNESCO
WORLD HERITAGE SITE,
THE CHURCHES AND
THE TRENCHES AND
TUNNELS THAT LINK
THEM ARE JUSTIFIABLY
RANKED AS THE EIGHTH
WONDER OF THE
ANCIENT WORLD
Main image: Ethiopian orthodox church in Addis Ababa. Below: The iconic Bete Glyorgis.
“
© WOLLWERTH IMAGERY
The churches of Lalibela form part of the
country’s unique living heritage and are
still in use today.
Priests pray and counsel in their
hollowed chambers, accessed through
well-worn tunnels, stone walkways and
small wooden doors, the surrounding
walls potholed with temporary shelters
for the pilgrims who have journeyed here
over the centuries to catch sight of the
New Jerusalem. An iconic symbol of this
is Saint George’s Church, or Bete Glyorgis,
shaped like a cross and carved out of the
volcanic rock.
As much as your time will be spent
marvelling at the churches, at close of day
visit the architecturally impressive Ben
Abeba restaurant, perched on the edge of
a jagged cliff. It makes for the perfect
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 43