Bete Gabriel-Rufael Church, Lalibela

Bete Gabriel Rufael is one of the Elven churches of Lalibela. The entrance to this church is found in a highly unusual location, connected by a bridge that crosses a moat-like deep dry ditch. According to one priest, the moat symbolizes hell, while the narrow bridge represents the path to heaven. The small gallery to the east of the bridge offers a spectacular view of Bete Gabriel Church. It is decorated with imposing arches that give the appearance of a monumental façade.

The enormous monumental façade dignifies the western side of the church. It is adorned with tall Axumite-style columns attached from top to bottom, separating the arches of a deep blind ogee arch with corbels, doors, and windows on the other sides.

The interior measures 19.50 meters long by 17.50 meters wide. It is broad, irregular in shape, and unusual in floor plan for a church. This, together with the overpass above the Deep Ditch, has led scholars to believe that the building may once have served as a fortified Axumite palace as early as the 7th or 8th century.

The building consists of two sections that serve as a church and are named after the Archangels Gabriel and Raphael. However, religious services are usually performed in Bete Gabriel. The roof of Bete Raphael once collapsed, causing services there to stop. Although it was later restored and rebuilt, services did not resume in Bete Raphael.

Within the building are two sections known as the House of Gabriel and the House of Raphael Church. Today, services continue to take place only in Beit Gabriel, mainly because of the earlier collapse of a section of the roof in Raphael’s house. Even after restoration and reconstruction, worship activities remain centered in Bete Gabriel-Rufael Church, one of the most fascinating rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and an important site in Ethiopia’s UNESCO World Heritage treasures.