Rock Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

[F3SS]

I seen and heard of these for the first time on Ancient Aliens the other night. These churches were carved in-ground out of solid bedrock. Granite I think. They are huge. After they were carved, then the insides were carved out too. The wall/column carvings are intricate, detailed and astounding of course. The ancients wouldn't have it any other way. I did some quick web surfing and this is about the best site I came up with.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/ethiopia/lalibela

I would love to know more about dimensions and astronomical alignments if anyone could find more info. I am only assuming there are astronomical alignments, every other meglithic structure has them. This is not an attempt at an ancient astronaut debate. Just looking for thoughts and information.

An excerpt from that site;

"The churches of Lalibela were not constructed — they were excavated. Each church was created by first carving out a wide trench on all four sides of the rock, then painstakingly chiseling out the interior. The largest church is 40 feet high, and the labor required to complete such a task with only hammers and chisels is astounding."

The ancients are really good at making one feel useless sometimes...

[lightly]

I seen and heard of these for the first time on Ancient Aliens the other night. These churches were carved in-ground out of solid bedrock. Granite I think. They are huge. After they were carved, then the insides were carved out too. The wall/column carvings are intricate, detailed and astounding of course. The ancients wouldn't have it any other way. I did some quick web surfing and this is about the best site I came up with.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/ethiopia/lalibela

I would love to know more about dimensions and astronomical alignments if anyone could find more info. I am only assuming there are astronomical alignments, every other meglithic structure has them. This is not an attempt at an ancient astronaut debate. Just looking for thoughts and information.

An excerpt from that site;

"The churches of Lalibela were not constructed — they were excavated. Each church was created by first carving out a wide trench on all four sides of the rock, then painstakingly chiseling out the interior. The largest church is 40 feet high, and the labor required to complete such a task with only hammers and chisels is astounding."

The ancients are really good at making one feel useless sometimes...

Thanks for sharing , i hadn't heard of them either. I tried to google up a bit of info on astronomical alignments of the churches.. and found little else but this:

Rock Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia - Unexplained Mysteries ...

2 hours ago – http://www.sacred-de...hiopia/lalibela. I would love to know more about dimensions and astronomical alignments if anyone could find more ...

www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=212194

sound familiar? The churches are amazing work .. as are the many temples in India hewn from solid rock. .. like this one >

*

Edited August 16, 2011 by lightly

[Swede]

I seen and heard of these for the first time on Ancient Aliens the other night. These churches were carved in-ground out of solid bedrock. Granite I think. They are huge. After they were carved, then the insides were carved out too. The wall/column carvings are intricate, detailed and astounding of course. The ancients wouldn't have it any other way. I did some quick web surfing and this is about the best site I came up with.

http://www.sacred-de...hiopia/lalibela

I would love to know more about dimensions and astronomical alignments if anyone could find more info. I am only assuming there are astronomical alignments, every other meglithic structure has them. This is not an attempt at an ancient astronaut debate. Just looking for thoughts and information.

An excerpt from that site;

"The churches of Lalibela were not constructed — they were excavated. Each church was created by first carving out a wide trench on all four sides of the rock, then painstakingly chiseling out the interior. The largest church is 40 feet high, and the labor required to complete such a task with only hammers and chisels is astounding."

The ancients are really good at making one feel useless sometimes...

Indeed an interesting area. Just a few points to keep in mind:

1) "Ancient Aliens" may not be your best source for accurate information.

2) The churches are not that particularly "ancient", as they date to the 12/13 century A.D. Essentially quite recent.

3) One may question whether or not they could be classified as "megalithic" structures.

4) The material that they were carved from (as is apparent in any photo) is volcanic tuff (compressed volcanic ash). While both the various granitics and tuff are of igneous origin, their formation and the comparative scale of hardness (ala Mohs) is rather notably different, with the tuff being softer and therefore more easily workable.

.

[ShadowSot]

I remember hearing about these back when I was a kid in Bible Studies.

Still think the churches are pretty interesting. Always wanted to visit one.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

they date to the 12/13 century A.D.

Yep.

Far as I know nothing there mysterious.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Being late does not mean without any mystery, the church of Lalibela is almost like a model carved out by an automatic machining robot.

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzg2MjcwNDg=.html

No I didnt mean that. I wrote it to look like that. My Yep was for century when they were made.

And I researched about them, nothing mysterious around them.

Edited August 16, 2011 by Melo

[F3SS]

Mysteries or not, noone alive today could/would build something like that.

[Bezum]

Eh Petra anyone? I'm backpacking through the middle-east atm and had the change to see it with my own eyes. I guess all of us could build it if we have enough patience

[Abramelin]

Mysteries or not, noone alive today could/would build something like that.

Maybe no one would, but they sure could.

The most famous example of Ethiopian rock-hewn architecture are the 11 monolithic churches of Lalibela, carved out of the red volcanic tuff found around the town

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_architecture

Red volcanic tuff is not like granite or dolerite.

In the ancient world, tuff's relative softness meant that it was commonly used for construction where it was available

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuff

.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Abramelin

[lightly]

Mysteries or not, noone alive today could/would build something like that.

* While googling Carved Indian Temples... I was a bit surprised to find this:

Hindu Temple An Architectural Wonder in Toronto

July 24, 2007

http://www.pajamadeen.com/world-news/canada/hindu-temple-an-architectural-wonder-in-toronto

.......... Hindu temple which has arisen over the last 18 months at the intersection of Finch Ave. and Highway 427 in Etobicoke, just northwest of Toronto, Ontario. Built at a cost of $40 million without a penny of government money, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (temple) is a tribute to the devotion of Indo-Canadians to Hinduism.

.... It’s all stone on stone; traditional Vedic principles specifying how a holy building should be built were followed, including the use of only stone because it’s considered the most sacred of all building materials. The mandir was built following the same guidelines used in constructing ancient Indian temples.

.... The entire project, a phantasmagoria of Italian marble and Turkish limestone, is a first for Canada and was created entirely by the Hindu communities of India and Canada. About 2,000 Indian craftsmen were hired, with about 100 of them flown to Toronto while another 1,800 remained in India to sculpt the finely detailed carvings with chisels and hammers. What they created is astonishing, and could be considered one of modernity’s “Wonders of the World.” The five-pinnacled exterior is decorated with horses, vines, flowers, elephants and peacocks, which represent different Hindu virtues. Inside, every inch of marble has been chiselled to reveal Hindu deities such as Shiva and Vishnu.

*

Edited August 17, 2011 by lightly

[Abramelin]

* While googling Carved Indian Temples... I was a bit surprised to find this:

Hindu Temple An Architectural Wonder in Toronto

July 24, 2007

http://www.pajamadeen.com/world-news/canada/hindu-temple-an-architectural-wonder-in-toronto

.......... Hindu temple which has arisen over the last 18 months at the intersection of Finch Ave. and Highway 427 in Etobicoke, just northwest of Toronto, Ontario. Built at a cost of $40 million without a penny of government money, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (temple) is a tribute to the devotion of Indo-Canadians to Hinduism.

.... It’s all stone on stone; traditional Vedic principles specifying how a holy building should be built were followed, including the use of only stone because it’s considered the most sacred of all building materials. The mandir was built following the same guidelines used in constructing ancient Indian temples.

.... The entire project, a phantasmagoria of Italian marble and Turkish limestone, is a first for Canada and was created entirely by the Hindu communities of India and Canada. About 2,000 Indian craftsmen were hired, with about 100 of them flown to Toronto while another 1,800 remained in India to sculpt the finely detailed carvings with chisels and hammers. What they created is astonishing, and could be considered one of modernity’s “Wonders of the World.” The five-pinnacled exterior is decorated with horses, vines, flowers, elephants and peacocks, which represent different Hindu virtues. Inside, every inch of marble has been chiselled to reveal Hindu deities such as Shiva and Vishnu.

*

That's beautifull, Lightly!

Now imagine, 5000 years in the future, some archeologist finds the remnants of that temple.

Must've been bug-eyed aliens from the Indian subcontinent that travelled across the planet in their flying saucer, changed the DNA of the humans in Canada, and have them build this temple, right?

[Blackwhite]

Mysteries or not, noone alive today could/would build something like that.

They managed it back in the 11th century. So it's fair to say we'd be able to manage it today. We'd probably do it a bit quicker, too. It took the Ethiopians decades to carve out those churches.

[Blackwhite]

Eh Petra anyone? I'm backpacking through the middle-east atm and had the change to see it with my own eyes. I guess all of us could build it if we have enough patience

There are also plenty of rock-carved structures in Egypt, too, including the Sphinx, of course.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Blackwhite

[Penelopa]

Eh Petra anyone? I'm backpacking through the middle-east atm and had the change to see it with my own eyes. I guess all of us could build it if we have enough patience

I visited Petra 2 years ago.Please dont miss the night light show-then you will feel that the place is older that they said and in the evening under the thousand of the stars you feel the real mystery of that ancient city.Dont miss to climb to the highest church there.

If you decide you could sleep in Petra.Still there are some Bedouins who live there and am sure will be cheaper than the hotels in the nearest town-and the feeling will be incredible.

When i was there i have the feeling that it is very,very old place,destroyed by Flood.What you will see today is not the same ( i have that feeling)like 10000 years ago.

Incredible beauty and magical place!

I wish you a nice trip to that ancient land.

[The_Spartan]

Mysteries or not, noone alive today could/would build something like that.

Really?

I presume you haven't heard of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, which are carved out from rocks, both of which are prime examples of Indian Rock Cut Architecture.

A Photograph of Ajanta Caves

A photograph of Ellora Caves

The Kailasanathar Temple of Ellora is one fine example of the architecture and the temple is a megalith carved out of a single rock.

some photographs of the Kailasanathar Temple

In the modern world, we could easily build hundreds of structures, with modern technology.

The dead of the past did, as evident from the large number of rock cut buildings in India and al lover the world.

Shame on you for doubting on the efficiency of mankind and thinking that we need external assistance to do stuff.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Space_Man_Spiff

[lightly]

That's beautifull, Lightly!

Now imagine, 5000 years in the future, some archeologist finds the remnants of that temple.

Must've been bug-eyed aliens from the Indian subcontinent that travelled across the planet in their flying saucer, changed the DNA of the humans in Canada, and have them build this temple, right?

LOL, very possible, and some fringy will spout some wild claim that it was really carved , by hand, .. by people from India !

[F3SS]

Really?

I presume you haven't heard of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, which are carved out from rocks, both of which are prime examples of Indian Rock Cut Architecture.

A Photograph of Ajanta Caves

A photograph of Ellora Caves

The Kailasanathar Temple of Ellora is one fine example of the architecture and the temple is a megalith carved out of a single rock.

some photographs of the Kailasanathar Temple

In the modern world, we could easily build hundreds of structures, with modern technology.

The dead of the past did, as evident from the large number of rock cut buildings in India and al lover the world.

Shame on you for doubting on the efficiency of mankind and thinking that we need external assistance to do stuff.

Alright, well I don't really doubt we could do these things. Today we use heavy machinery, tnt, saw blades with diamond coated cutting edges and all sorts of things that make the job easier. I am in no way saying that constructing/carving rock with our modern tools is easy, let alone doing it with precision. It's tough work no matter what you use to get it done. However, I'm talking in terms of the technology they had back in the day. Hammers and chisels and man power. Hard, hard, hard labor. That's what they used. In that respect I stand by my statement that noone alive today could/would build something like that the way they did it. Sure, technically I know it could. But it wouldn't. In fact I issue a challenge...I will post the challenge in the General off-topic Discussion Forum.

[F3SS]

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=212439

Here is my challenge

[Abramelin]

Alright, well I don't really doubt we could do these things. Today we use heavy machinery, tnt, saw blades with diamond coated cutting edges and all sorts of things that make the job easier. I am in no way saying that constructing/carving rock with our modern tools is easy, let alone doing it with precision. It's tough work no matter what you use to get it done. However, I'm talking in terms of the technology they had back in the day. Hammers and chisels and man power. Hard, hard, hard labor. That's what they used. In that respect I stand by my statement that noone alive today could/would build something like that the way they did it. Sure, technically I know it could. But it wouldn't. In fact I issue a challenge...I will post the challenge in the General off-topic Discussion Forum.

You appear to ignore the fact that the Ethiopian buildings were hewn out of red volcanic tuff.

A material much used in the past for construction because it was relatively soft.

.

Edited August 18, 2011 by Abramelin

[F3SS]

You appear to ignore the fact that the Ethiopian buildings were hewn out of red volcanic tuff.

A material much used in the past for construction because it was relatively soft.

.

I ignore nothing, just not fully informed. Soft or not, it's still rock. I refer you to my challenge...

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=212439

Show me how easy it is...

Edited August 19, 2011 by Is it for real

[Abramelin]

I ignore nothing, just not fully informed. Soft or not, it's still rock. I refer you to my challenge...

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=212439

Show me how easy it is...

Buy me a camera first....

Here's a video about ONE Ethiopian guy cutting churches from rock.... because he got inspired to do so by a dream/vision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WidZv_GYC9w

Now you may say that the church you see in the vdeo, the one he is still hewing out of the rock with his pickaxe, is not like the older and famous ones, but then please do not forget this guy is working on his own.

And btw, who here said it's easy?

.

Edited August 19, 2011 by Abramelin

[starsamongus]

Done some research on these churches and ive gotta say their pretty amazing. Especially amazing since ive been working heavy equipment in excavation for all most 10 years now and ive seen how tough the majority of solid rock can really be with sophisticated machinery. Not assuming aliens helped build them but I am finding it hard to believe that these churches were hollowed out by mere chisel work. Even if they were constructed in this manner i cant imagine how impossibly long it would have taken them even if they were at it day and night.

[toyomotor]

Yep.

Far as I know nothing there mysterious.

Except that one of the churches, according to Ethiopians, holds the Ark of The Covenant, and has done since the Ark was stolen from King Solomon by Menelik, son of King Solomon and The Queen of Sheba.