11 Astonishing Underground Cities From Around The World

Lalibela: The “New Jerusalem” Of Ethiopia

Wikimedia CommonsLalibela was historically known as Roha, a religious and pilgrimage center in Ethiopia.

Known as the “New Jerusalem,” Lalibela in Ethiopia is home to a massive collection of churches. According to CBS News, each one of the site’s 11 churches is carved from a single, massive block of stone.

While little is known about who constructed these churches, or why, we do know that roughly 800 years ago, an Ethiopian monarch named Lalibela ordered the site to be a new capital for Christians. Prior to this, it was known as Roha, but it was renamed in honor of the king. The devout believers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church say the churches were in fact built by angels.

Historical evidence suggests the stone churches were carved sometime around the year 1200, after King Lalibela was said to have made the 1,600-mile journey to Jerusalem. When he returned, he had ambitions to create an African Jerusalem — and Roha proved to be the perfect location.

Despite being carved into solid rock — and therefore, not needing any support — the rooms of Lalibela’s churches mirror the construction of more traditional buildings and structures, including archways and columns.

In total, the site covers 62 acres of land, with the largest of the churches covering around 8,000 square feet. Each church is about four stories tall, and the site is divided by a stream named for the river Jordan.

The churches are still a popular site to this day, open to visitors year-round. Christmas Eve, however, seems to be the most popular day for the faithful to visit, as Lalibela attracts nearly 200,000 visitors each year on the holiday — and like those who visit Jerusalem, some visitors in Lalibela walk for days or weeks on end, fasting and dressed in traditional white robes.

While it isn’t necessarily a city per se, there’s no denying that the construction of Lalibela is something to be admired — and given its size, it rivals many of the other underground cities seen around the world.

After reading about these underground cities, learn about the amazing sunken cities of the ancient world. Then, explore seven famous lost cities.

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