The religious pilgrimage to Lalibela by Alan Gignoux

The predominant oriental orthodox church in Ethiopia with 38 million members, the Tewhaedo church is also one of the few pre-colonial churches of sub-Saharan Africa. Tewhaedo is a Ge’ez word meaning “being made one” or “unified” and refers to the orthodox belief in the unified nature of Christ.

The origins of the church was the baptism of a member of the Ethiopian royal family by Philip the Evangelist; it became the established church of the Ethiopian Axumite Kingdom under King Ezana in the 4th century.

Lalibela is famous for its monolithic rock cut churches with the church of St. George’s being the most spectacular. Alan Gignoux has covered Alberta’s Tar Sands for Revolve, as well as Appalachian Mountaintopping, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, immigrants in Belgium, and more.