"Second Lalibela" (Dagmawi Lalibela) being built in Ethiopia by the monk/priest Abu Gebre Meskel Tesema and two deacons

[dzheremi]

I just found this fascinating article from a few weeks ago on the construction of a "second Lalibela" going on in Ethiopia, undertaken by the monk Abu Gebre Meskel Tesema (elsewhere identified more correctly as Aba Gabremesqel Tessema Molla) and two deacons on the slope of a mountain 60 km south of the first Lalibela. The plan is to include 11 churches at this new site, of which 7 have already been completed. He is only 33, so God-willing, he will finish this work. From the article:

Incredibly, for the first year, Tesema worked completely alone. Today, though, two church deacons have joined him in his task. But, even so, the deacons only help him by clearing and removing rubble while Tesema does all the excavation and carving himself.​

​

"While Tesema is working, he accepts no food and uses no artificial lighting," one of the deacons told me. "When he is carving the interior of one of the churches, he is often doing it in near darkness."​

​

Tesema purposefully uses only the most basic construction tools – just chisels and hammers – as well as building techniques from the time of King Lalibela, so no bricks, no mortar or timber. If that wasn't enough, there are no overall architectural plans, and all measurements are done by eye.​

​

According to Alemu, using these traditional building techniques "makes people feel more spiritually devoted".​

​

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From the photos included in the article (and others I found at the University of Toronto, who are doing a great job documenting the whole process) the result is certainly impressive so far. May God give him and his deacon-helpers the strength to complete this holy work in good time and health, and that his dream that this "second Lalibela" be visited for centuries to come be realized in the strengthening of the Church and nurturing of an uncountable number of pilgrims, until the return of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.

For those who might want to know more from the man himself (not the BBC), here is a long interview (in Amharic, with English subtitles) with the good father about the history of this work, which dates back to 1995 but has its roots potentially as far back as Lalibela himself.

 

[The Liturgist]

I just found this fascinating article from a few weeks ago on the construction of a "second Lalibela" going on in Ethiopia, undertaken by the monk Abu Gebre Meskel Tesema (elsewhere identified more correctly as Aba Gabremesqel Tessema Molla) and two deacons on the slope of a mountain 60 km south of the first Lalibela. The plan is to include 11 churches at this new site, of which 7 have already been completed. He is only 33, so God-willing, he will finish this work. From the article:

Incredibly, for the first year, Tesema worked completely alone. Today, though, two church deacons have joined him in his task. But, even so, the deacons only help him by clearing and removing rubble while Tesema does all the excavation and carving himself.​

​

"While Tesema is working, he accepts no food and uses no artificial lighting," one of the deacons told me. "When he is carving the interior of one of the churches, he is often doing it in near darkness."​

​

Tesema purposefully uses only the most basic construction tools – just chisels and hammers – as well as building techniques from the time of King Lalibela, so no bricks, no mortar or timber. If that wasn't enough, there are no overall architectural plans, and all measurements are done by eye.​

​

According to Alemu, using these traditional building techniques "makes people feel more spiritually devoted".​

​

+++

From the photos included in the article (and others I found at the University of Toronto, who are doing a great job documenting the whole process) the result is certainly impressive so far. May God give him and his deacon-helpers the strength to complete this holy work in good time and health, and that his dream that this "second Lalibela" be visited for centuries to come be realized in the strengthening of the Church and nurturing of an uncountable number of pilgrims, until the return of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.

For those who might want to know more from the man himself (not the BBC), here is a long interview (in Amharic, with English subtitles) with the good father about the history of this work, which dates back to 1995 but has its roots potentially as far back as Lalibela himself.

Oh that is awesome.

 

[RileyG]

Awesome!