The "real" view of alot of the churches encompassed in Lalibela. Unesco came in a
few years ago and built these huge steel awnings to cover the churches and
protect them erosion. It is definitely a good idea and I believe they are temporary,
but they are ugly and do absolutely nothing for the "ambiance" of the churches.
Hopefully they will replace them soon with ones that are more aesthetically
matched to the environment. Even so though, the way they are attached to the bases
of some of the churches, they are going to do damage. Not very well thought out and
I wonder if it would have been better to just leave things as is, rebuild and fix the
churches as needed and let nature do what it will. Not everything was meant to last
forever and it would be ashame to lose them, but they put up a good fight and they
are made of solid rock, so maybe a bit of overkill and save the churches even though
you destroy the setting.
Taken at Lalibela, Ethiopia.
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