By Tadias Staff Writer

New York – “From the 16th to the middle of the 19th centuries, virtually the whole of the Middle East was under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire”, writes Dr. Negussay Ayele, a California based author and Ethiopian scholar in his article: Ethiopian Monks maintain the only presence by black people in Jerusalem.

“When one of the Zagwe kings in Ethiopia, King Lalibela (1190-1225), had trouble maintaining unhampered contacts with the monks in Jerusalem, he decided to build a new Jerusalem in his land. In the process he left behind one of the true architectural wonders known as the Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela.”

A new documentary film titled Lalibela–Wonders and Mystery by Addis Film Production will screen in New York this weekend (Sunday, October 28, 2007, Purina Screening Room, 245 West 54th Street. Show time: 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm. Ticket Price: $10. More info: 201.220.3442).

The film examines, with help from scholars, the mystery behind the design and architecture of the churches. The geometric precision of the construction of the Rock-hewn Churches still amazes modern architects. The sewage system is still intact. Some major events of the bible are symbolized and are part of the architecture of the churches.

Watch the trailer.

More at: Addis Art & Culture