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    Leyland Cecco

    Ethiopia

    There are [5] photos and [1] story about Ethiopia

    Serenity and fulfilment consummate one's spiritual journey. For the pilgrims transfixed in prayer, the experience has been a voyage both into the depths of the earth as well as the depths of their own faith. by: leylandcecco Views[1000] Resting against the rock face of the church, an Orthodox Christian is caught in a moment of contemplation. Each of the underground churches contain a thick and richly coloured curtain hiding a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, viewable only by priests, deacons and bishops. by: leylandcecco Views[417] Narrow tunnels underneath the churches and within the mountain connect the churches, and as the number of pilgrims swell dramatically with Christmas approaching, the passages become an increasingly tight traverse. Stories of long treks echo off the cool stone, with one pilgrim telling me of his group's barefoot journey of more than 8 days in order to reach Lalibela. As so many villages are within reach, more than 60,000 pilgrims descend on the churches each Christmas. by: leylandcecco Views[461] In the 1500s, King Lalibela had 11 churches hewn from a 'mother rock' in order to create a holy place below ground safe for pilgrims to worship and evade detection. The result was so captivating that the first European to enter the site wrote Perched high in the mountains of Northern Ethiopia, the small town of Lalibela is a place of pilgrimage during the time of Orthodox Christmas, and Ethiopian Christianity's second holiest site. Wrapped in shrouds of early morning mist and cotton, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians stand in prayer at the edge of Bet Giyorgis, the rock church carved to resemble a cross. by: leylandcecco Views[1208]
     

    Photos: My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

    Saturday, 12 Jan 2013 | Photo Gallery | Scholarship Entry

    When photography and I first met, almost by accident, I underwent a transformation. I saw how light hit the faces of my friends. I saw how they moved, how they gestured. I became addicted to capturing it. Now, I’m a sucker for natural light and even (gasp!) ... Read more >
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    Tags: ethiopia, lalibela, pilgrimage, rock churches, travel photography scholarship 2012

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