Though later medieval hagiographies attribute all 11 structures to the eponymous King Lalibela (the town was called Roha and Adefa before his reign), new evidence indicates that they may have been built separately over a period of a few centuries, with only a few of the more recent churches having been built under his reign.
King Lalibela was born at either Adefa or Roha (it was later named Lalibela after him) in Bugna.