Bet Giyorgis is the rock-hewn church in Lalibela, Ethiopia, carved in the shape of a cross and dedicated to Saint George.
The church is also commonly called the Church of Saint George and is one of Lalibela’s eleven monolithic churches. Rather than being assembled from blocks, it was excavated downward from a single piece of volcanic rock, leaving the building standing within a deep surrounding trench. A narrow, winding passage provides access to the sanctuary.
Ethiopian tradition attributes its construction to King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty. The story says that the king received divine instructions to build the churches, with Saint George especially associated with this particular monument. Lalibela remains an important pilgrimage centre for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Readers sometimes confuse Bet Giyorgis with the other Lalibela churches, such as Bet Maryam or Bet Medhane Alem. The cross-shaped ground plan is the distinctive clue here. The churches of Lalibela have been part of a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978.