"Lalibela depends on tourism: the hotels, the souvenirs, the cafés, the shops, the farmers all directly or indirectly benefit from tourism. Now everything is closed. We have no income," he said.

Although many travellers will have heard of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, few will know about the "new Lalibela" being carved out of the rockface by a devoted monk.

The churches of Lalibela were built by angels. The northern highlands of Ethiopia rose 31 million years ago when fissures in the earth flooded the Horn of Africa with lava a mile deep.

The 11 medieval monolithic cave churches of this 13th-century 'New Jerusalem' are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia near a traditional village with circular-shaped dwellings.

Lalibela churches are 11 ancient monolithic structures carved out of solid granite. ... Downtown, young people are busy shopping for Christmas gifts.

The churches in the Ethiopian city of Lalibela, designated the Eighth Wonder of the World, are a sight to behold. Read 15 years of Mumbai Mirror's journalism here. For 24x7 updates on Mumbai and ...

Pandemic and war hit tourism in Lalibela, holy Ethiopian site Reuters , Monday 3 May 2021 With a population of over 110 million, the country has recorded a total of more than 258,000 infections ...

The lack of tourists has been hard on Lalibela, a star attraction for foreign visitors to Ethiopia. Pandemic and war hit tourism in Lalibela, holy Ethiopian site Home Page ...

Tens of thousands of visitors from around Ethiopia and abroad usually come to Lalibela, home to a UNESCO World Heritage site of 12th and 13th century monolithic churches, to celebrate and witness ...

Fewer than 600 tourists have visited since the churches reopened, according to Haftamu Tesfaw, an official at the Lalibela tourism office. Ethiopia is currently in the top five countries in Africa in ...