Lalibela: An Historical Account of the Land of Rock-Hewn Churches, 1974 to the Present

The main purpose of this study is to examine the history of Lalibela in north Wollo zone from 1974 to the present; and aimed to reconstruct it. The focus of this paper is showing the economic, social, as well as environmental history of Lalibela. The study also targeted to fill the gaps of the history of the research area, in Ethiopian historiography. Furthermore, as a major tourist destination area, the study might also show the eco-tourism, its obstacles and how to resolve such problems and creating conducive environment for internal as well as international tourists. Lalibela is one of the well-known touristic sites in Ethiopia. It is usually identified with the rock hewn churches in the town. The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are among the nine sites in Ethiopia registered in the World Heritage List. They are also unofficially considered as one of the Great Wonders of the ancient world. According to UNESCO, a world heritage site is expected to have at least two zones: the core and the buffer zone. The core represents that part of the site where intervention is almost prohibited while the buffer zone is the area where intervention is allowed but in a controlled way. Though Lalibela was identified as world heritage site since the early 1970s, the heritage site was not clearly identified and demarcated. However, using the preparation of the new structure plan for Lalibela as an opportunity, the decision to prepare a management plan for the heritage site was made by the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture and Tourism).