Bete Mikael and Golgotha Church, Lalibela

Bete Qedus Mikael, the Church of St. Michael, and Bete Golgotha are two churches that belong together and are served by one entrance. This church complex also includes the rarely seen Silase Chapel. St. Mikael’s Church (also called Debre Sina, meaning Mount Sinai) was carved as a semi-monolithic structure, as it is not completely isolated from the main rock.

On the western side, the churches can be accessed through the Tomb of Adam. Seeing the elegant design of the Tomb of Adam, one could easily guess that it was used as the ancient main entrance to access the churches. Visitors can also enter through a tunnel at the southern end of the Bete Maryam courtyard.

Bete Golgotha is named after the place where Jesus was buried. It is believed to be the most important and holiest shrine among all the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. The belongings of King Lalibela, including his prayer sticks made of wood, iron, and horn, as well as an elaborate metal cross, are kept there. At the northeast corner, there is a relief carving of angels representing the Tomb of Christ. Beneath it lies a movable stone covering the tomb of King and Saint Lalibela.

Bete Mikael Church measures 9.5 m by 8.5 m. There are eight columns arranged in two rows that divide the church into three parts. The columns create cross-shaped intersections, repeated by pilasters along the walls. An arch connects the two rows of pillars. The east-central part of the church serves as the Holy of Holies, where the altar is kept. The church also features beautiful exterior window carvings on two levels of the walls and three doorways, as is common in the western half. The northern side leads into the Golgotha Church.

The Golgotha Church measures 10.5 m by 6 m. The Church of St. Michael serves as a passage to reach Golgotha. In the center, three columns arranged in a cruciform section run east to west, while two aisles are formed by a fourth pilaster on the western side wall.

There is also a rectangular box said to be the “tribune” of King Lalibela, from where he regularly attended ceremonies. The window is decorated with Aksumite-style square monkey-head carvings on the exterior wall.