The Church of Saint George, locally known as Bete Giyorgis, is the most iconic of Ethiopia’s rock-hewn churches and one of the most extraordinary architectural achievements in human history. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century during the reign of King Lalibela, the church was not constructed in the conventional sense. Instead, it was carved entirely from a single block of volcanic rock using a strictly subtractive, top-down process. Seen from above, the church reveals a perfectly prop