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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

324. A Jerusalem in Ethiopia?

This town, now a UNESCO world heritage site for its unique rock hewn monolithic churches was named after Saint Gebre Mesqel X, a member of the Zagwe Dynasty, who ruled Ethiopia in the late 12th century and early 13th century. (The saintly king was given this name X due to a swarm of bees said to have surrounded him at his birth, which his mother took as a sign of his future reign as Emperor of Ethiopia)

X is said to have seen Jerusalem and then attempted to build a new Jerusalem as his capital in response to the capture of old Jerusalem by Muslims in 1187. As such, many features of the town have Biblical names - even the town's river is known as the River Jordan.

Identify.

1 comment:

Ozymandias said...

Betegyorgis church in Lalibela.