The ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia are deteriorating after centuries of heavy rain. An international architectural competition will be launched to design a solution that blends with the landscape.

Lalibela

The ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, carved more than 900 years ago, are facing significant deterioration due to harsh weather and the limitations of earlier preservation efforts. Temporary canopies, installed nearly two decades ago, have failed to provide adequate protection and have altered the site's appearance.

To address these challenges, Ethiopian authorities, in collaboration with UNESCO, have decided to launch an international architecture competition to design a new, permanent canopy that will safeguard the churches without compromising their historical integrity. The project will require careful planning and adherence to strict preservation guidelines to ensure the churches can be passed on to future generations.

Ethiopia launches global contest to save Lalibela’s ancient churches

In Lalibela, the faith is as strong as it was more than 900 years ago, when these churches were carved out of solid rock. But the buildings are weakening. Torrential storms during the long rainy season take a heavy toll. It's affected by humans. You can see the holes. Previous attempts to protect them have had mixed results. Five of the 11 churches have these canopies. They were supposed to be temporary, but have cast an ugly shadow over this World Heritage site for 17 years. Most of the structure of the churches is gone, and most of the rock is over. We can see drop of rock every year when it's rainy season, and we can see the weight from the inside. Even the crack, like 10, 15 years ago, was not like today. The crack in every year is going to be wider, wider and wider. On a couple of the other roofs, the protection is rudimentary. The churches were commissioned by King Lalibela in the 12th century. The faithful believe he had a divine vision to build a new Jerusalem so pilgrims didn't have to leave Africa. After years of feasibility surveys, Ethiopian government specialists and the UN Cultural and Scientific Organization, UNESCO, agreed that they should be covered by one giant canopy. The challenge now is what is that canopy going to be made of and how is it going to be built? It must blend in with the surroundings and, of course, not damage the churches. An international architecture competition will be launched next year to try and find the right solution. It will be a complex, costly project that will have to abide by strict preservation guidelines. The roof of Emmanuel Church was almost completely eroded by the time the canopy went up. The church must be preserved. If our country is at peace, we have a responsibility to maintain it as we inherited it from our ancestors and we must pass on this heritage to the next generation. That next generation is already being introduced to the ancient rituals of Lalibela. In his lifetime, these churches should hopefully be preserved for future millennia. Bernard Smith, Al Jazeera, Lalibela, Ethiopia.

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