Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
House of Medhane Alem
References
Britannica AI Icon

House of Medhane Alem

church, Ethiopia
Also known as: Beit Medhane Alem
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

The House of Medhane Alem is the largest of the 11 monolithic churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia. These churches, carved entirely out of solid rock below ground level, were constructed in the late 12th to early 13th century by King Lalibela. The House of Medhane Alem measures 109 feet long, 77 feet wide, and 35 feet deep. These remarkable structures are a UNESCO World Heritage site and are tended by priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The churches represent a significant development in Ethiopian architecture and were intended to establish Lalibela as a preeminent city.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. Lalībela
  2. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
  3. Ethiopia - Religion of Ethiopia

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.