Origins & Early Life

Lalibela (Ge'ez: ላሊበላ), regnal name Gebre Meskel (Ge'ez: ገብረ መስቀል, romanized: gäbrä mäsqäl, lit. 'Servant of the Cross'), was a king of the Zagwe dynasty, reigning from 1181 to 1221. He was the son of Jan Seyum and the brother of Kedus Harbe. Perhaps the best-known Zagwe monarch, he is credited as the patron of the namesake monolithic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He is venerated as a saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church on 19 June. The life of Lalibela is recorded in his hagiography, Gadla Lalibela. According to the source, his parents were Jan Seyoum, the governor of Bugna in the province of Lasta, and Kirwerna, a housemaid in Jan Seyoum's service. In 1162 Jan Seyoum was angered when Kirwerna became pregnant by him, and she fled to the town of Roha to give birth. A swarm of bees was said to have surrounded the newborn child, which his mother took as a sign of his future power.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Accordingly he was named "Lalibela", meaning "the bees recognise his sovereignty" in Old Agaw. Later Roha was renamed Lalibela in the king's honor. The prophecy of Lalibela's future greatness aroused the hostility of his uncle Tatadim and his brother Kedus Harbe, who was rightful...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Albertus Magnus — Contemporary (Born in 1200) (1200): Pioneering medieval philosopher, scientist, and Dominican friar.
• Dōgen — Contemporary (Born in 1200) (1200): Founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan, known for zazen practice.
• Gorakhnath — Contemporary (Died in 1200) (1200): Founder of the Nath Hindu monastic movement, a revered 11th-century yogi and saint.
• Guillaume de Machaut — Contemporary (Born in 1300) (1300): Central figure of the Ars Nova style in late medieval French music.
• Guy de Chauliac — Contemporary (Born in 1300) (1300): Influential French physician and surgeon, author of Chirurgia magna.
• Trần Hưng Đạo — Contemporary (Died in 1300) (1300): Great Prince Hưng Đạo, military genius who defended Đại Việt against Mongol hordes.
• Chrétien de Troyes — Historical peer (Died in 1181) (1181): Master of Arthurian romance, pivotal figure in medieval French literature.
• Jebe — Historical peer (Born in 1181) (1181): Prominent Mongol general and one of Genghis Khan's most celebrated military commanders.
• Bonaventure — Historical peer (Born in 1221) (1221): Influential Franciscan theologian and philosopher, known as the Seraphic Doctor.
• Dominic de Guzmán — Historical peer (Died in 1221) (1221): Founder of the Dominican Order, a pivotal figure in medieval religious life.
• 1200 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1200
• 1300 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1300