Campus Giyorgys Beit Church of Lalibela
The excavation of the mountains to house construction is an ancient practice of which there are many examples around the world. The case of temples carved into volcanic tuff Lalibela (Ethiopia), is a very curious example that stands out for its uniqueness.
Construction exterior appearance. Photos: Jialiang Gao, Wikipedia
THE troglodytism, ie human use of caves and underground excavated spaces is an ancient practice. The caves were always one of the first shelters used by man, nomadic wandering in that our ancestors practiced primitive. The sculpture and architecture on rocky foundations has been practiced by many different civilizations, as evidenced by the pierced temples of Abu Simbel in Upper Egypt, the enigmatic city of Petra in Jordan, rediscovered in the early nineteenth century or the heads of U.S. presidents more meanings, carved on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to 1930.
The regions south of Egypt in the upper basin of the Nile were always territories for the supply of good building materials. The quality of the granite was prized by builders of Egyptian civilization and, thus, much of its monuments were executed with fluvially transported stones from the quarries Ethiopians. Auguste Choisy, en su famous History of Architecture, first published in 1899, explained how those ancient builders produced massive granite blocks, rock carving and making transport directly by dragging hand with ropes.
A great example of the sophistication that the Egyptians achieved with these techniques it was the preparation and placement of obelisks. Extraction can be performed directly rock carving and making grooves in the granite mass to disengage whole pieces of great length with bronze wedges. Its displacement is produced generally by use of rollers and traction hand these huge monoliths. The adapted transport ships, plying the river Nile to the sites chosen, was the supplement that facilitate its use in the various monuments built for the pharaohs for his subjects.
Plant of the church dedicated to St. George in Lalibela
A similar technique to that of the Egyptians, heir to these ancient traditions, is the one that would be used throughout the twelfth century to excavate the pilgrimage sites of Lalibela, the new Jerusalem, in a mountainous region of northeastern Ethiopia. There are numerous examples of concentrated rock-cut architecture which resulted from a concerted effort, sponsored by a monarch called Frost Mesqel Lalibela.
Ethiopia should be a fascinating country. It is a semi-desert territory repository of an ancient culture that has survived to this day, having branches in other locations away from the world. An example of this is the Rastafarian movement, entrenched en Jamaica, recalls that these cultures and idolizes al disappeared last emperor of Abyssinia. One Ethiopian empire, heir of the kingdom of Axum, came to occupy in its heyday an immense extent, current integrating Somalia, Djibouti, eastern Sudan and South Egypt. He had several dynasties that would end with the overthrow of Negus (emperor) Haile Selasi en 1974. A branch of Orthodox Christianity would develop in that area of the world over hundreds of years, as a split from the Church of the East. Ethiopian Copts are known, as well- Lalibela have maintained that culture unique to this day, through numerous avatars and defending the powerful influence of Islam.
During the Arab invasion of Abyssinia, them axumita would move to the rugged plains of the north and there would remain the remains of a way of understanding religion in secret isolation for centuries fortified. In this part of North Africa, after implantation hegemonic Islam, would follow him practicing Orthodox worship in the sus variants nestorianas monofisitas. A religious tradition that continues to this day.
Decoration carved into the stone facade with the reason for the Greek cross with the swastika intertwined. Photos: A.Davey, Flickr
A mid-twelfth century, King Lalibela of the dinastía Zagwe be proposed recall some Bible passages building a series of scenarios that would be excavated along decades in the red rock tuff existing in the region. The set consists of several buildings and enclosures excavated forming a vast complex of crypts, underground passages, open caves and galleries that make up a ghostly and silent world under the ground wet. Four churches excel in this scheme theatrical, Salvador houses calls, Mary, of Emmanuel and St George.
One such piece, perhaps the best known, church is Greek cross, dedicated to the San Jorge Beit Giyorgis. It is an authentic monumental sculpture carved into the granite rock vertically to a height of forty feet. It is accessed through a passage drilled horizontally into the hillside, communicating with a sort of open courtyard around the church. From this outdoor venue is accessed only organized structure cross with four equal-sized lateral spaces or access chapels that are a prelude to a large central volume topped by a dome. The set is lavishly decorated inside with frescoes that show their cultural relationship with Constantinople.
Vaults interior polychrome San Jorge Church of Lalibela. Photos: A.Davey, Flickr
Beit Giyorgis is a curiosity and aesthetic architectural structure whose power is due to the way it was executed and also hints that produces profoundly unaware of that fact architectural history. A condition that the grass becomes speculation of all kinds.
In our day, architects have become fascinated by the human effort and take it as an inspiration. Is the case, as an example of the influence, Dutch team Search, formed by Dick van Gameren y Bjarne Mastenbroek, who would make a brilliant work of architecture, Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa of 2005, by reference to these precedents.
Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa. Dick van Gameren y Bjarne Mastenbroek, Search Architects. 2005. Photos: Afritecture
Fede knew him but not so explained as you always make us. Thanks
Estimated D. Federico, their contribution I found very interesting. I did not know if we describe; is a pleasure to find on the Net contributions of quality like this, through which we always learn!!!
You're welcome.
For me it has become a pleasure to have interesting things that caught my attention in some way.
Above all, those relating to architecture and cultures that are not well known and I've known almost by chance.
Federico, just got back from Ethiopia and again I kept wanting to know Lalibela. Now I have an excuse for the next trip. It is curious that Orthodox Church has remained isolated for centuries, in which their existence was unknown. The same happened to the Ethiopian Jews. They practiced some archaic rituals that cost so much they would accept the formation of the state of Israel. Certainly, that they do not like to be called Copts. They see it as something slightly derogatory, as ejipcios call them..
Greetings to all of CPPA