New Rock-Hewn Churches of Ethiopia

The simultaneous resurgence of newly carved churches across Christian Ethiopia, in apparent isolation and linguistically differentiated regions, support that the craft may indeed represent intermittent practice rather than total revival. In either case, important centres or concentrated areas of new churches have emerged and include Hawzien in Tegray and Lalibela, Selah Dingay and Dabra Berhan in Amhara.

The small town of Hawzien, which was heavily bombed in 1988 (during the Civil War), is generally of little interest. However, the location on the Hawzien plain and proximity to countless impressive rock-hewn churches, has made Hawzien an ideal point of departure for visiting ancient and medieval rock-churches. With the magnificent Gheralta Mountain Range to the south and several ambas (flat-topped mountains) to the north, the surrounding area continues to inspire the creation of rock churches, the closest of which is Giyorgis Mai Wayni situated literally on the edge of town.

The great number of rock churches in the area has led to the expansion and modification of several existing churches, something unique to Tegray. Where the establishment of an entirely new church is concerned, this nearly always replaces a disused built or rock-hewn structure. A characteristic of new rock churches in the Hawzien area (and Tegray) is that craftsmen are often employed on a contract-like basis by a representative of the church or local community. This in turn, has led to the emergence of Master Craftsmen - individuals who have worked on several churches. The newly identified churches in the Hawzien area remain true to the Tegrayan rock-hewn tradition; they are carved horizontally into the rock face (rather than cut downward as at Lalibela), typically from cliffs or outcrops of sandstone and draw inspiration from the basilica church plan.