Person

Gebre Mesqel Lalibela

late 12th–early 13th century · 13th century

Gebre Mesqel Lalibela was a king of the Zagwe dynasty of Ethiopia who reigned in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Tradition credits him with the rock-hewn churches at his capital Roha, conceived as a 'New Jerusalem', and the town was later renamed Lalibela after him. He is venerated as a saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Gebre Mesqel Lalibela
Image: unknown artist, originally made in Lalibela area, Ethiopia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Zagwe dynasty

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gebre Mesqel Lalibela. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gebre-mesqel-lalibela
MLA
“Gebre Mesqel Lalibela.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gebre-mesqel-lalibela. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gebre Mesqel Lalibela.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gebre-mesqel-lalibela.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gebre Mesqel Lalibela’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gebre-mesqel-lalibela (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻