DestinationsAugust 8, 20267 min read
The complete guide to Lalibela
Where it is, how to get there, which churches to see, how many days you need and what else to do in Ethiopia’s holiest town.
Cave Church · Historic Northern Ethiopia
Yemrehanna Kristos
One of Ethiopia’s best-preserved late-Aksumite buildings, constructed in alternating layers of wood and stone inside a vast natural cave.
- Best Time
- October to April
- Suggested Stay
- Half day
- Altitude
- 2,700 m
- Region
- Historic Northern Ethiopia
Why We Go
A built church of wood and stone, hidden inside a cave above Lalibela.
Unlike Lalibela’s churches, Yemrehanna Kristos was built rather than excavated, on a foundation of wood and basalt beneath an overhanging cave about 40 kilometres from town. It may predate the churches of Lalibela by several decades, and its layered façade shows clearly where their architectural language came from.
Few travellers make the journey, which only adds to its atmosphere. A short drive and a gentle walk bring you to the cave, where a priest will show you the interior and the ancient remains of pilgrims kept at the back.
Highlights
- The stepped wood-and-stone façade
- Painted and carved interior ceilings
- A walk through juniper woodland to the cave
- A blueprint for the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela
Journeys Including Yemrehanna Kristos
Routes that pass through here
More in Historic Northern Ethiopia
From The Travel Journal
Read more about Yemrehanna Kristos
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