The Christmas pilgrimage to Lalibela

In Ethiopia, the majority of the population belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This ancient church was born in the fourth century as branch of the Coptic Church of Alexandria in Egypt, but since 1959 it has its own independent Patriarch. Over the centuries the Ethiopian Church has developed its own distinctive features, from architecture to religious rites and iconography. The Christmas period is characterized by numerous pilgrimages to the most important places of worship in the country. The holiest of them being Lalibela, where pilgrims from all over the country flock to pray in the famous rock-hewn churches.