New Rock-Hewn Churches of Ethiopia

Co-ordinates: 11° 42’ 16’’ N, 38° 54’ 6’’ E

Site Description by Tarn Philipp

The site is located three-and-a-half kilometres north west of the town of Gashena and is west of the road to Lalibela. At present (2018) five churches run east to west and are connected by courtyards, short passages and trenches. The complex is cut down into the mother rock, rather than out of the rock face. The natural rock slopes downward to the north. A church attributed to King Lalibela is carved into the north rock face, slightly south and above the new complex. The following description is primarily informed by the first visit in 2015. However, return visits were made in 2016 and 2017 to record the ongoing excavation at the western part of the complex.
The site was chosen due to the pre-existing church to the south, said to have been carved by the great King Lalibela. This ‘Lalibela’ church appears to have been abandoned prior to completion. It is carved horizontally into the rock and includes a single Aksumite style carved door, but is otherwise unrefined. The Aksumite detail is not employed in the new churches and supports an earlier date for the ‘Lalibela’ church. However, there is no evidence to support the affiliation with King Lalibela or that the space ever functioned as a church.
The current excavation offers valuable insight into the possible time frame, method and sequence of carving a church from rock. In addition to a religious motive, the complex has a strong political and social agenda. The association of the old church to Lalibela has resulted in the new complex being locally referred to as that of Dagmawi Lalibela, which means a repeat or second Lalibela. The name Ambager applies to the area below the site and is employed here to avoid confusion with the famous churches of Lalibela.
The claim that the church south and above the complex was carved by King Lalibela, subsequent reference to the site as Lalibela, the break from traditional architecture and the resulting unusual spatial arrangements, led initially to complications with the church authorities (now resolved). The controversy was for the most part due to the association with King Lalibela and the use of his name to describe the site. While most locals in Gashena support the newly carved churches, some do not. Those in opposition feel that the realization that Man alone is capable of carving such structures, is damaging to the sense of awe and local belief associated with older churches. It undermines popular belief that the churches of Lalibela were carved by angels who worked alongside King Lalibela.
The principal craftsman is the priest Gebremeskel Tesema, who has been carving the churches for the past four years. He carved alone for an entire year before being joined by two deacons. They live on site in the mountains in splendid isolation. The craftsmen are attempting to carve a church complex comparable to the UNESCO-recognised churches of Lalibela. Gebremeskel Tesema envisions the complete complex to consist of ten carved churches cut into the ground. The aspiration to create a complex of eleven churches (including the existing ‘Lalibela’ church) and the affiliation to the Zagwe ruler (King Lalibela) have obvious similarities to those of Lalibela.
Gebremeskel Tesema describes the project as a reaction to views that question the authenticity of the churches at Lalibela, suggesting that foreigners were responsible for their creation. By undertaking the immense task of carving ten churches from rock, using primitive tools and techniques, he hopes to demonstrate that Ethiopians were and are capable of carving such structures. The complex strives to restore a sense of pride and traditionalism in the Ethiopian way of life and to educate on the importance of heritage - something rapidly being lost to Western influence. The abundant relief carvings continue this argument and form a narrative of the past and present achievements of Ethiopia. The small courtyard west of Beta Abraham includes a carved protruding map of Ethiopia in the centre. The map includes Eritrea, formerly part of Ethiopia, where rock-hewn churches are also found. Gebremeskel Tesema hopes that the two countries, which share a long Christian history, will one day reunite.
In 2015, the complex consisted of four churches, two of which were still being carved. As at Lalibela and surrounding churches, the churches are cut down into the rock. These subterranean churches are connected by open courtyards, short passageways and trenches. Two main trenches enter the complex from the north into the east and west courtyards. Steps also lead down into the east courtyard from the north-west corner although these may be removed at a later stage. The churches are arranged east to west which reflects the sequence of excavation. The church furthest east and the first to be carved is Debre Tsion, which is connected to Beta Abraham by an open courtyard. The small ‘Museum’ courtyard connects Beta Abraham to the large westernmost courtyard, which includes the two churches currently under excavation. That to the west is Debre Efrem and that to the south is Beta Giyorgis. By 2017, the complex had grown to include a fifth church, that of Maryam, which is really a continuation of Beta Giyorgis rather than a separate church.
The Ambager complex demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship, seldom realised in newly carved churches. The churches intentionally differ from traditional architecture and omit the familiar Aksumite detail. The variety and unusual arrangement of spaces reflect a willingness for experimentation. The church ceilings and courtyard walls are richly decorated in relief carvings, seemingly of Egyptian influence. The craftsmanship draws on age-old ingenuity. Primitive metal tools are sharpened over a fire using bellows in the Lalibela church. The precision of ceiling domes is achieved by fixing a piece of wood centrally in the rock. A piece of string is attached to the wooden spoke and adjusted to various lengths to mark out the circular dome and concentric patterns. The excavation of rock and intricate relief carving is done without artificial light and no drawings are used. The craftsmen simply carve in near complete darkness. The excavation method employed at Ambager Complex supports the presumed top to bottom ‘construction’ sequence of earlier churches.
In 2015, the church of Beta Giyorgis was entered through a square opening that now forms an upper window. The ceiling height of two-and-a-half metres, has been excavated to create a space some five metres high and what appeared to be integrated seating at the base of the arched walls now form the top of bracket capitals to columns which have since been carved below. Return visits in 2016 and 2017 documented the ongoing excavation in the western part of the complex, which included the joining of Debre Efrem and Beta Giyorgis. In February 2018, Gebremeskel Tesema’s hard work was recognised, and the complex received a tabot consecrated to Maryam. This, and national media coverage, meant the site quickly became a place of pilgrimage. The increasing number of visitors made ongoing work difficult and eventually resulted in the complex only being open to pilgrims or visitors on the day of Maryam (21st of every month, Ethiopian Calendar).

Debre Tsion, Ambager Complex

This church forms the eastern extent of the Ambager complex and was the first to be carved. The north-east primary trench gives access to the west courtyard of the church. Debre Tsion includes a large courtyard to the west, which has access from the north-west corner by steps that descend from the original surface of the rock which frames the void. As with the courtyards of Lalibela, the top of each wall follows the natural gradient of the rock which slopes downward to the north at this complex. This gives a clear indication of the amount of rock which has been removed. A distinctive feature is the circular protrusion from Debre Tsion which occupies the west and central parts of the courtyard. This is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is hollow inside to form the westernmost chamber of the church. The external curved surface is elaborately carved. It widens at the top where carved crenellations suggest the tower of a medieval European castle, although it is most likely inspired by those of the royal enclosure in Gondar, Ethiopia. The west wall of the courtyard has an entrance on either end which lead to the adjacent small courtyards and the cruciform church of Beta Abraham. The north wall depicts three double arches carved in relief similar to the Selassie or Holy Trinity found at Medhane Alem Adi Qesho in Tigray. Above this are recessed square blind windows. Another three such windows continue on the adjacent upper west wall of the courtyard above the entrance. The upper south wall has recessed blind arches which continue on the adjacent upper west wall above the entrance and above the circular protrusion, reducing in size to the north. Debre Tsion has a north entrance from the north-east trench to the complex which joins the courtyard. Two entrances to the west of the church are found on either side of the circular protrusion. The entrance to the right is reached by a few steps, while that to the left is raised by a ledge and not currently in use. All three entrances are arched and each has a door of corrugated iron. Only the west façade of Debre Tsion is fully exposed. In addition to the entrances, it includes two square windows a bay in from either entrance. These too are blocked by corrugated iron.
The plan of Debre Tsion is most unusual and highlights the experimentation and willingness to try something new found at this complex. The internal church is effectively five bays in width and only one bay in depth and orientated east to west. The west entrances lead into the northernmost and southernmost bays. The north bay includes a second north entrance from the primary trench to the complex. A chamber, circular in plan, extends west of the central bay to inhabit the protrusion of the courtyard. The central and second bay to the north each have an east entrance to the maqdas which is raised by three steps. The central entrance from the ‘nave’ is arched while that to the north is rectangular. The maqdas is the width of these two bays and a bay in depth. It includes a blind-arched door on the south wall. A rectangular chamber in the middle of the east wall extends slightly further east.
The floor of the church is flat throughout and raised by steps to the maqdas. The strange layout and confined spaces of this church eliminate the need for free-standing columns. Pilasters topped by a flat beam or an arch distinguish the bays of the church. The condensed nave is separated from the aisles by arches. An arch also follows the domed ceiling of the west bay of the nave. Flat beams separate the two north and south aisles. The ceiling of the southernmost aisle forms a pointed dome and the west chamber of the nave is domed. The rest of the church ceiling is flat although the easternmost chamber of the maqdas has an arched ceiling, considerably lower than the rest of the maqdas.
The unusual layout of this church appears to draw inspiration from the form of worship practiced at the courtyard churches of Lalibela, whereby the excavated courtyard and rock surrounding the void acts as an external church. In this way the courtyard of Debre Tsion replaces the west body of the church and provides the qene mellet to the five-aisled qeddest and the maqdas.

Beta Abraham, Ambager Complex

This church is west of Debre Tsion and was the second church to be carved. Beta Abraham has access from the courtyard of Debre Tsion to the east and from a short tunnel to the west which descends from the museum courtyard. A square open courtyard at each of the four corners of Beta Abraham forms a cross when viewed from above. The cross of the roof has a protruding map of Ethiopia on which a second cross reduced in scale is placed centrally. The cruciform roof plan is comparable to Beta Giyorgis at Lalbela. However, this is the only similarity between the two churches. As with Debre Tsion, the layout of this church differs greatly from traditional Ethiopian rock-hewn architecture.
The square maqdas is placed centrally at the crossing which is visible from above. The maqdas has four arched entrances, one from each side. These entrances have two inward protruding blocks below the arch to imitate an arched Aksumite window, thought to represent the rising sun. The walls of each entrance extend to form four massive irregular columns. The columns in turn reduce the interior of the maqdas to a cross in plan. The maqdas includes a rock-hewn manbara tabot measuring a height of 1250mm. There is also a carved cross on the cruciform ceiling.
The spaces below the ‘arms’ of the cross visible from above, have high arched openings to the courtyards. This forms a semi-external ambulatory passage around the maqdas which is punctuated by the open courtyards at each corner. The layout of this rock-hewn church is largely inspired by the newer rectangular and circular built churches which place a square maqdas centrally within the church. The roofed ambulatory of Beta Abraham may form the qeddest, while the framed voids of the courtyards make up the qene mellet.
The four sides of the inner ambulatory are almost identical and each arched entrance to the maqdas sits within a carved cross, which extends from the floor to the ceiling. The walls and ceiling of the sheltered ambulatory are carved, as are the walls of the four small courtyards. Above the west entrance to the maqdas on the right are carved the numerals 2006, indicating the date (Ethiopian Calendar) when the church was carved. This corresponds to the year 2013 in the Gregorian calendar. Writing on the south wall of the maqdas translates to ‘Abraham’, to whom the church is to be consecrated.
Each arm of the cross is dedicated to one of the four Evangelists or Arbatu Ensesa. There are chambers off the north, south and west ambulatories. The north chamber is dedicated to Lucas, the south to Yohannes, the west to Marcos and the area east of the maqdas, to Matthew. The Ethiopian calendar devotes each year to one of the four Evangelists and the spaces are to be used according to this cycle. The chamber to the west, that of Marcos, includes integrated seating and steps rise to the west to the irregular courtyard referred to as the ‘museum’.
A carved map of Ethiopia protrudes in the centre of the courtyard, which has access from Beta Abraham to the east and the courtyard of Debre Efrem to the west. A chamber in the south wall of the courtyard, noted in 2015, now forms a window to Beta Maryam. On the first visit in 2015, this chamber had a depth of half-a-metre. Four weeks later, some four square metres of rock had been removed to burrow toward Beta Giyorgis. The ground of the ‘museum’ courtyard is raised considerably above those on either side.
The courtyard walls of Beta Abraham form a narrative of symbolic engravings. The abundance of carved animals and plants stems from the belief that these are all creations of God. The south-west courtyard depicts two Egyptian figures bearing a cross and a snake on the west wall. The south wall depicts a sphinx of Greek origin as it includes the head of a man, body of a lion and wings of a bird. From the frontal head of the sphinx rises an Aksumite Stela, complete with a row of monkey-heads and topped with the arched pagan symbol of the sun. The clear references to Greece, Egypt and Aksum draw on the ancient history and origins of Ethiopian Christianity. The south-east courtyard shows a giant stela on the south wall which rises above the cruciform roof of the church. The east wall of the north-east courtyard has an engraved ibex on it. The north-west courtyard depicts six pots which relate to the Miracle of the Marriage of Cana, whereby Jesus Christ filled the empty pots with wine. The north wall portrays a ‘heavenly map’ in carved relief. It depicts the ocean, fish, trees, mountains, the sun, moon and stars. The ‘heavenly map’ draws on recent knowledge that the earth is round and represents God’s creation within a sphere.

Debre Efrem, Ambager Complex

The triangular maqdas of Debre Efrem is consecrated to Selassie or the Holy Trinity and positioned in the middle of a six-sided courtyard which is referred to as that of Selassie. The north-west primary trench provides access to the complex from the north. This church forms the western extent of the complex and is currently being carved. Debre Efrem is hewn into the west wall of the westernmost courtyard. A second church, Beta Giyorgis, is hewn to the south. The ground of this large six-sided courtyard is lower than the rest of the complex. Steps rise in the south east to join the ‘museum’ by way of an arched passage. The north-west primary trench to the complex enters the courtyard from the north through an arched door opening.
The maqdas of Debre Efrem extends from the west wall to the centre of the courtyard. The inner structure follows the external walls and houses a rock-hewn manbara tabot. The triangular form of the maqdas is derived from the traditional basket used for storing the Ethiopian staple – injera. The three-sided maqdas is referred to as Selassie or the Holy Trinity and the surrounding courtyard is intended to be used for Christmas celebrations. The façade of the maqdas includes abstract carvings which represent the twelve apostles and totem pole-like decoration on all elevations. The maqdas has an arched window of Aksumite origin to the north and south.
Beyond the maqdas and courtyard wall lies the church of Debre Efrem. At present the church is entered through the short adjoining north wall of the maqdas. The adjoining south wall opposite forms an arched window. An internal arched window to the east offers a view into the maqdas. This opening will be excavated further to form an entrance to the maqdas. The curved ceiling of the maqdas is masterfully sculpted and the surface is decorated with carved patterns. The entrance to the church is from this intermediate space, between the maqdas and the body of the church. The floor of the church has been excavated to an even greater depth than the courtyard. The lower church is governed by the original surface of the rock which slopes north-west at this part of the complex. The protruding maqdas into the courtyard forms an unusual church façade with a single square window to the south of the maqdas on the courtyard wall.
The church is three bays in width and only one in depth. As at Debre Tsion to the far east of the complex, the nave of Debre Efrem has an additional west bay. The unusual entrance from the east enters into the north aisle and the window of the façade is to the nave. The bay of the south aisle and the west bay of the nave are semi-circular in plan and have a half-domed ceiling. The other two bays are rectangular in plan and have a flat ceiling. The confined space of this church eliminates the need for free-standing columns. Arches are sprung from the rudimentary capitals of pilasters which distinguish each bay. The carved flat ceiling of the east bay of the nave depicts a bee while that to the west represents the twelve apostles. The ceiling, arches and upper church walls are refined while the surfaces below the bracket capitals are still roughly formed. Large tools are used to create the primary volumes and smaller tools are then used to achieve the smooth and intricately carved surfaces of the inner church.
The intension to extend the church a further bay south to join the church of Beta Giyorgis (noted in 2015) was realised in 2016. By 2017, the depth of the Selassie courtyard in the north and east had been excavated a further two meters since 2015.

Beta Giyorgis, Ambager Complex

Beta Giyorgis lies to the south of the westernmost courtyard (Selassie). In 2015, this church was in an early phase of excavation and its continued documentation has offered insight into the process of carving a church from solid rock. Beta Giyorgis is carved beyond the south wall of the same courtyard as Debre Efrem. The façade includes a single small square opening, set at a higher level than the square window to the nave of Debre Efrem. The rock above Beta Giyorgis has been partially worked to form cubic volumes which protrude to varying extents from the natural rock. The rock above and to the east of the church includes three carved crosses which face upward to the open sky.
In 2015, the church was entered by means of an opening, raised above the courtyard. The church consisted of two bays in width, both square in plan and a circular chamber carved to the west of the north bay. The ceiling of the south bay was flat although the ceiling of the north and west bays was domed. That of the north bay was intricately carved and reminiscent of the domed Himbasha found at Mika’el Melehayzenghi in Tigray. The ceiling of the west bay was decorated with interwoven patterns. The north bay had an arch on all but the east side, where a partially excavated ambulatory extended to emerge east of the south bay. Arches rose from what appears to be integrated seating, but were in fact the capitals of columns yet to be carved below. The passage to the east included a carved ceiling, inspired by timber construction and formed by protruding false beams which run north south. The west bay of the church was to extend to join the south aisle of Debre Efrem and a separate chamber south of the museum was to extend to join the ambulatory. The opening to the museum courtyard was to form a second upper north window to the church.
A return visit to the site in 2016 found the church of Beta Giyorgis, which had a height of two-and-a-half metres in 2015, to have been excavated a further three meters. The initial entrance is now clearly a window and covered by a timber panel. The west bay of the church has been extended to the west to join the south bay of Debre Efrem. The east bay (noted as an ambulatory in 2015) had been extended eastward to meet the window opening to the museum courtyard. The Star of David has been carved to the east of the north window (initial entrance) and an eight sided star, or overlapping diamond and square, is carved to the west and above the opening.

The west bay which now connects to Debre Efrem, has circular engravings and two Aksumite blind windows and ‘Swastikka’ decorative patterns. The south bay has circular engravings with a cross at the centre. The arches are decorated with a pattern inspired by rope. The south and west wall of the south bay have two throne-like chairs at the base with engraved arches rising above. By 2017 the eastern part of Beta Giyorgis had been excavated deeper and included a maqdas to the south dedicated to Mary. This church in particular, boasts intricate relief carving, rich in symbolism, and reflects the growing confidence, ambition and skill of the craftsmen.