King Lalibela was born at either Adefa or Roha (it was later named Lalibela after him) in Bugna.
Lalibela | Gebre Mesqel Lalibela | Gebre Hanna | ''Azmari'' playing ''masenqo'' in a ''tejbeit'', Lalibela |
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.
Originally named Roha or Warwar, this historical and religious site is currently accepted in the modern name of Lalibela - after King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela of Ethiopia - considered to be a saint-like figure by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.