Biete Meskel


Biete Meskel is an Orthodox underground monolith church carved into rock. It is located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The edifice was built during the Kingdom of Axum. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela.

3D Documentation

The Zamani Project, based at the University of Cape Town, spatially documented the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, including Biete Meskel, during four field campaigns between 2005-2009. The documentation was carried with the support of the Andrew W Mellon Foundation and in co-operation with the World Monuments Funds. Over 1200 terrestrial laser scans where acquired to generate 3D models of 14 monuments. Panorama tours combining photographic full-dome panoramas and covering all churches were also generated. Textured 3D models, panorama tours, elevations, sections and plans are available on .