Gebre Mesqel Lalibela

c. 1162 – c. 1221

Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (reigned c. 1181 - c. 1221) was Emperor of Ethiopia and the most celebrated ruler of the Zagwe dynasty. He is traditionally credited with commissioning the eleven monolithic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, conceived as a 'New Jerusalem', and is venerated as a saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

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Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Gebre Mesqel Lalibela.

Life events

Born in Roha (later renamed Lalibela) in the Ethiopian highlands
c. 1162

According to hagiographic tradition, a swarm of bees surrounded him at birth, interpreted as a sign of future kingship; his name means 'the bees recognize his sovereignty'.

Birth ?
Said to have made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, according to tradition
c. 1180

Hagiographic accounts hold that Lalibela visited Jerusalem before his reign, inspiring his later vision of a New Jerusalem in Ethiopia; the journey is not historically confirmed.

Personal ?
Became king of the Zagwe dynasty
c. 1181

Lalibela took the throne of the Zagwe dynasty, which ruled Ethiopia from its center at Roha in the Lasta region, reportedly after conflict with his half-brother Harbay.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Married Masqal Kibra
c. 1185

His queen Masqal Kibra figures prominently in the hagiographic tradition surrounding his reign.

Relationship ?
Traditionally credited with commissioning the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela
c. 1200

Eleven medieval churches carved from living rock at his capital are attributed by tradition to his reign, intended as a New Jerusalem for pilgrims unable to reach the Holy Land.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Received an embassy connected to the patriarchate of Alexandria
c. 1200

Contemporary Coptic and Arab sources record contacts between Lalibela's court and the Egyptian church, among the few externally documented events of his reign.

Other ?
Capital city of Roha renamed Lalibela in his honor
c. 1210

The Zagwe capital came to bear the king's name, which it retains today as one of Ethiopia's holiest towns.

Other ?
Canonized as a saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
c. 1221

Lalibela is venerated as a saint, and his churches remain a major pilgrimage destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Achievement ?
Died and was succeeded by his nephew Na'akueto La'ab
c. 1221

Lalibela died around 1221; accounts of the succession vary, with his son Yetbarak also later taking the throne.

Death ?