The reportage in Lalibela was shot over the three days I spent following an incredible flow of pilgrims wandering from one rock-hewn church to another.
Mario Adario is shortlisted in the 2017 ZEISS Photography Award with his series 'Ethiopian Christmas Pilgrimage to Lalibela'. You can see more of his work here.
Text by Mario Adario
I have a interest in Africa, mostly because of the cultural links with my country of origin, Italy. In the past I had been to Eritrea, which is a former Italian colony and I was so fascinated by the culture that I decided that Ethiopia would be my next trip. People think of sub-Saharan Africa as a place where you can only photograph animals and sunsets but actually Ethiopia offers much more, it is a country rich in history. I spent two weeks in the country and planned to focus on two very different series: one on the indigenous populations of the Omo Valley and one on the Christmas pilgrimage to the sacred town of Lalibela. The reportage in Lalibela was shot over the three days I spent following an incredible flow of pilgrims wandering from one rock-hewn church to another.
