Sunbeam, Bete Golgotha Church, Lalibela, Woldia, Ethiopia, October 2007

Sunbeam, Bete Golgotha Church, Lalibela, Woldia, Ethiopia, October 2007

A sun beam coming through a small window illuminates the interior of Bete Golgotha Church.

Sometimes lumped together with its sister church, Bete Debre Sina into the same unit, called Bete Kidus Mikael, Bete Golgotha is meant to evoke its biblical namesake. Inside, in addition to several bas-relief figures and a symbolic tomb of Christ (obscured by curtains), a narrow passageway connects to Trinity chapel, a place so sacred that it is even off-limits to most Lalibela priests.