Which Ethiopian site contains 11 medieval monolithic churches carved out of rock?

The Ethiopian site containing 11 medieval monolithic churches carved from rock is the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela.

Located near the town of Lalibela in Ethiopia’s western highlands, the complex was created mainly during the late 12th and early 13th centuries under King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty. Local tradition says the king sought to create a “New Jerusalem” after Muslim conquests made pilgrimage to the original Jerusalem difficult. The churches remain active places of worship and pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.

These are subtractive buildings: workers excavated trenches around blocks of volcanic rock and then carved downward, shaping churches, columns, windows, roofs, and interiors from the remaining stone. Four churches are freestanding monoliths, while seven share rock with the surrounding formation. Tunnels and trenches connect the main groups, with the River Jordan represented symbolically in the site’s layout.

The best-known church is Biete Giyorgis, or Church of Saint George, carved in a cross-shaped plan. The complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978. Harar Jugol, Gondar’s castles, and Axum’s obelisks are important Ethiopian heritage sites, but they are not the group of 11 medieval rock-hewn churches described here.