Set apart from the rest of churches in Lalibela, the church of Saint George has become an icon of Ethiopia. The church, carved into the volcanic rock centuries ago, represents the spiritual heart of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia has a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres (420,000 sq mi). As of 2022, it is home to around 123.5 million inhabitants. The national capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, lies several kilometres west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the African and Somali tectonic plates.