Churches Made out of Rock, literally

I recently saw an article on the BBC news about the Rock Churches of Lalibela Ethiopia.  These churches have been identified as World Historical Monuments and are located in a mountainous region north of Addis Ababa. 

In total there are eleven ancient churches which were carved directly out of solid rock.  The article noted that more rock churches are still  being constructed today.  

What was so amazing was the man currently building a rock church.  He stated like the previous builders, he had no architectural plans or construction designs before beginning.  They simply started building under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and moved with Him to create the building.  The end result is nothing short of an architectural miracle, especially considering the tools they use to create these beautiful churches.  The interiors are elaborately designed and the tunnel systems between churches and the housing units are intelligently crafted.  There are arch doorways, complex windows, tall columns, various floors and artistic ceilings.  Additionally, there is an extensive drainage system of ditches, trenches, and walkways. 

The original churches were started by King Lalibela whose desire was to build a ‘New Jerusalem’ in the 12th Century after Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem had been stopped by Muslims.  The churches were designed in two major groups.

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In the North:
House of the Savior of the World
House of Mary
House of the Cross
House of Virgins
House of Golgotha Mikael 

In the South:
House of Emmanuel
House of St. Mercoreos
House of Abbot Libanos
House of Gabriel Raphael
House of Holy Bread
House of Saint George

 To view the complete video you can see the BBC report here.  Additional video is also below from Youtube but it does not contain the rock carver interview in the BBC video.