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House of Golgotha and House of Angel Mikael

Biete Gologota-Selassié (ቤተ ጎልጎታና ሥላሴ የጸሎት ቤት (Béta Golgotanna Sellasé yätsälot bet) in Amharic) or Biete Golgotha Mikael ("The house of Golgotha-Mikael") is an Ethiopian Orthodox church located in Lalibela, in the Amhara, Ethiopia.

A trench at the southern end of the House of Mary (Biete Maryam) courtyard connects it to the twin churches of House of Golgotha (Biete Golgotha) and House of Angel Mikael (Biete Mikael also known as Bet Debre Sina).

The House of Golgotha (Biete Golgota) is semi-monolithic because it is not entirely clear of the natural rampart of the House of Mary (Biete Maryam). The building has many bas-reliefs of saints or representing the four evangelists, the "tomb of Adam", a "tomb of Christ" surmounted by archangels, as well as that of King Lalibela. This would be held in the basement. The dust from King Lalibela's tomb is sacred because it would have the virtue of healing the sick. Pilgrims move there to receive this dust only through a priest assigned to this task.

You have to cross the House of Golgotha (Biete Gologota) to access the small adjoining hypogeum-type chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity Biete Sellassié (ሥላሴ የጸሎት ቤት). Trapezoidal in plan, the room conceals an apse, a central pillar and an ogival window, as well as three monolithic altars, decorated with crosses and hollowed out in their center with a cavity where the priest placed the tabot (the Ark of the Covenant, in Geez) during mass. The back of the crypt houses two mysterious figures with hands joined in prayer, arranged on either side of an empty niche surmounted by an encircled cross, perhaps a representation of the Trinity.





































Source: Bete Golgota-Selassié — Wikipédia