Describe the origins, appearance, and construction of the Ethiopian rock churches

Question

Please provide the best answer for the statement

Answer 1

1) In the region of today’s Ethiopia, the Zagwe dynasty reigned for approximately 150 years, from the early twelfth century to 1270. In that year the last Zagwe ruler was deposed by a new ruling family, who embarked on a campaign to discredit the Zagwe dynasty. The Zagwe rulers had already ensured their survival as a respected part of Ethiopian history, however, by the rock churches they left behind.
2) The most famous of these was commissioned by the emperor Lalibela. Claiming to be instructed by God, he ordered the construction of a series of churches in the town now known by his name. Unlike most buildings, instead of being built up from the ground, the churches at Lalibela were carved downward through the soft rocks at the site. Engineers had to conceive of the completed building in advance, including decorative details, because subtractive techniques such as carving do not allow for repair of mistakes. Once the shell of the building was carved, the interior was hollowed out into rooms for use in Christian worship and study.
3)The last of the churches to be built, Beta Ghiorghis, is dedicated to the patron saint of Ethiopia, Saint George. According to legend, Lalibela had a vision in which Saint George appeared (in full armor and riding his white horse) and reproached him for not having built a church in his honor. A humbled Lalibela promised to excavate the most beautiful church of all in honor of the saint. A near-perfect cube, chiseled into the shape of a cross, the church is set some 40 feet deep into the ground, and its roof is decorated with three Greek crosses carved in relief and set inside one another.