Urgent preservation of the Lalibela Churches, Ethiopia

Lalibela is known for its complex of eleven 12th- and 13th-century churches carved into volcanic rock, with doors, windows, columns, floors, and roofs chiselled out of a monolithic block. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978, the site is a symbol of national identity and the local communities’ history and heritage. Severe erosion has endangered the site.

The emergency interventions funded by ALIPH include the repair of architectural elements such as the bridge on Bethlehem Monument and the stabilization of rock fragments in danger of detaching. Activities also included training local artisans, heritage professionals, and community leaders in conservation and management. This initiative contributed to a large-scale rehabilitation program financed by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and  implemented by the Centre Français des Etudes Ethiopiennes (CFEE) in Addis Ababa.