Lalibela, Ethiopia (CNN) -- It's 4 o'clock on a Sunday morning when a trail of figures dressed in white emerges from the deep darkness. Quietly, the summoned crowd makes its way down a cluster of ancient structures as the slow beat from traditional skin drums beckons. It's a common scene here in Lalibela, a small town in northern Ethiopia that's home to 11 spectacular churches carved both inside and out from a single rock some 900 years ago. The chiseled creations have turned this mountain town into a place of pride and pilgrimage for worshipers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, attracting 80,000 to 100,000 visitors every year.
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Small town of Lalibela is a religious and pilgrimage center in Ethiopia
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Lalibela is famous for its 11 rock-hewn churches built 900 years ago
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It attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year
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Lalibela has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978
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In recent years, a conscious effort to develop @placeholder's infrastructure has also brought further attention to this remote place, leading to the arrival of even more pilgrims and tourists.
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Retta says he's seen positive changes in @placeholder over the years.
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But that doesn't seem likely, as visitors keep on coming to @placeholder's churches.