Think for a second about legacy, about what you might want to leave behind after you die.

Maybe it's a house, or some land, or a body of artistic work, maybe even a business,

but it's probably not, however, a collection of churches, like African King Lalibella of

the Zagway Dynasty.

The Zagway Dynasty ruled most of what is now northern Ethiopia in Eritrea.

King Lalibella died in the 13th century, and the churches he left behind are architectural

marvels.

They inspire thousands of visitors every year.

There's 11 of them in total, and these massive structures are carved entirely out of singular

pieces of rock.

And rather than towering above the landscape, they descend down into the earth.

The most impressive of them, the Church of St. George, is almost four stories tall and

built with no advanced technology, no bricks, no concrete, no mortar.

This ancient structure has been called the eighth wonder of the world, yet it's very

much alive.

My name is Baudelaire, and this is Atlas Obscura, a celebration of the world's strange, incredible,

and wondrous places.

Today, we go to the town of Lalibella in northern Ethiopia to learn about King Lalibella's

greatest contribution to his people, the rock-cune church known as St. George's, where religious

services are held to this day.

More after this.

The town of Lalibella is dedicated to its religious importance in Ethiopian Orthodox Christian

...