Monolithic churches in urgent need of repair

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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1. Various of churches in Lalibela 2. Wide of man walking to church 3. Man reading the bible 4. Wide on man walking to church 5. Set up of Father Gebre Eyesus Mekonen, Head Priest, Lalibela 6. SOUNDBITE (Amharic) Father Gebre Eyesus Mekonen, Head Priest, Lalibela: "Lalibela is considered as a second Jerusalem to us. It has also been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Everyone who comes here to visit is amazed and surprised, even if they are not Christian. The designs of the churches are perfect and we are happy that the European Union (EU) believes they should be preserved for future generations and the institution is really supporting us." 7. Various of priests singing inside church 8. Various of scafolding outside churches 9. Wide of church 10. Various of Lalibela church sign 11. Various of technical adviser to the European Union, Jannik Vaam 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jannik Vaam Technical Adviser, European Union "Once the shelters have been completed we hope to launch, with the government, a conservation study to examine how to treat the churches which are of a rather special volcanic material so we need to find a way of treating this material in order to stop the erosion." 13. Various of church tour guide 14. SOUNDBITE(Amharic) Mulugeta Melesse, Tour Guide : "People like me have a very strong connection to the churches. We feel it's very important to preserve them because there are a lot of people who are directly and indirectly benefiting from them through tourism, including me. Our incomes depend on these churches. If they stay in a good condition tourists will continue to come here and people employed in the tourism industry can improve their lives." 15. Various set ups of US tourist Jeannine Balsamo 16. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeannine Balsamo, US tourist : "I think in terms of world history, and religious history, they're very important. I mean they're magnificent when you think they've been constructed downwards. And they're very old and really quite spectacular from just a construction standpoint. I think it would be a shame if they weren't preserved." 17. Various set ups of Dutch tourist Lore Nizet 18. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Lore Nizet, Dutch tourist : "We came to Lalibela because we read about the town and we think the churches are very important. It's vital to maintain them so that history will continue in to the future and be passed on to other generations. Therefore we think it's important to restore and preserve the buildings." 19. Various churches interiors 20. Zoom into priest reading LEAD IN: Lalibela in northern Ethiopia is known by many in the country as 'the second Jerusalem'. Each year, thousands of Christians flock to the town, where they celebrate Christian holidays. The small town is home to 11 monolithic churches carved entirely from rock dating from around the 11th and 12th centuries. Over time, the churches have succumbed to the elements and urgent restoration is required to protect them for future generations. STORYLINE : Lalibela, also known as 'Africa's Petra', is interesting in terms of historical, religious and architectural value. Originally the town was the capital of the Zagwe dynasty in the 12th and 13th centuries. Lalibela is now one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Aksum, with a population almost one hundred per cent Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. The new name Lalibela came from an Ethiopian King who, legend has it, was instructed by Jesus Christ to build a second Jerusalem for African pilgrims. King Lalibela is believed to have ordered the building of 11 extraordinary churches at the end of the 11th century and beginning of the 12th. The eleven churches were chiselled out of rock. Others sit quietly and pray or study the Bible. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/7fc2cf8d3d692bc04380c432a65fa333 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork