Bet Golgotha & Bet Mikael

A tunnel at the southern end of the Bet Maryam courtyard connects it to the twin churches of Bet Golgotha & Bet Mikael .

Bet Mikael serves as an anteroom to the Selassie Chapel, one of Lalibela's holiest sanctuaries. It contains three monolithic altars. One is decorated with a beautiful relief of four winged creatures with their hands held up in prayer; it's thought to represent the four evangelists. Unfortunately, the chapel is very rarely open to the public.

Bet Golgotha is known for containing some of the best early examples of Ethiopian Christian art. On the so-called Tomb of Christ (an arched recess in the northeast of the church) a recumbent figure is carved in high relief; above it, in low relief, hovers an angel. Almost as amazing are the life-size depictions of seven saints carved into the walls' niches.

Close to the Tomb of Christ is a movable slab of stone, said to cover the most secret place in the holy city, the tomb of King Lalibela himself. Such is the importance and sanctity of Golgotha that a visit is said to assure your place in heaven!

Bet Golgotha also boasts some of Lalibela's most important religious treasures. You may be shown a blackened metal cross (thought to symbolise the nails of crucifixion) and a large prayer stick (composed of wood, iron and horn), both supposed belongings of King Lalibela. Sadly women are not allowed into Bet Golgotha.

Standing in a deep trench in front of the western façade of Bet Golgotha is the so-called Tomb of Adam. It consists of a giant, hollowed-out block of stone.