The first group of the rock-hewn churches comprises seven churches: Bette Medehanialem, Bette Mriam, Bette Meskel, Bette Denagel, Bette Debre Sina, Bette Golgota and the Silassie chapel. These groups of churches are mostly excavated from below the ground, and are surrounded by courtyards and trenches, so that they mimic normal buildings. Several of these churches are monoliths or three-quartet monoliths – free from the surrounding rock on three or four sides a style of excavation that is unique in Ethiopia

. The second group of churches in Lalibela consists of five churches: Bette Emanuel, Bette Merkorios, Bette Abba Libanos, Bette Lehem and Bette Gebrial-Rufael. A thirteenth church, Bette Giorgis stands discrete from the two main clusters. These churches were excavated from a vertical rock face by exploiting existing caves or cracks in the rock. The most interesting story of the Lalibela cross will be tell at Bette Medihanialem, on March 10 1997, the 800 years-old Lalibea cross was discovered to have gone missing from the church of Medehanialem. This cross, which is made of solid gold and reportedly wings in at around 7kg, is said to have been the personal property of king Lalibela, and it is also the most treasured artifact of the Ethiopian churches, more holy than anything in Jerusalem or Rome.