Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Bet Giyorgis Church, a church carved out of solid tufa rock, view from the top showing its cross shape, Lalibela. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ethiopia, December 2014.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Bet Giyorgis Church, a church carved out of solid tufa rock, Lalibela. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ethiopia, December 2014.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Bet Giyorgis Church, a church carved out of solid tufa rock, Lalibela. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ethiopia, December 2014.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Priest in traditional clothing outside Bet Giyorgis Church, a church carved out of solid tufa rock, Lalibela. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ethiopia, December 2014.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Priest in traditional white robes and turban, holding a gold cross. Bet Giyorgis Church, Lalibela. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ethiopia, December 2014.

Loic Poidevin / Orthodox church, Oia, Santorini / Thira Island, Greece, May 2009.

Loic Poidevin / Orthodox churches, Oia, Santorini / Thira Island, Greece, May 2009.

Laurent Geslin / Priests in orthodox christian church of Uhra Kidane Mehret, Gah dhar, North Ethiopia, 2006

Laurent Geslin / Priest in the Orthodox christian church of St Marie, Lalibela, North Ethiopia, 2006

Laurent Geslin / Ceiling painted with faces of angels, Orthodox christian church of Debre Berhan Silase, Gondhar, North Ethiopia, 2006

Laurent Geslin / Modern orthodox christian wedding, Gondhar, North Ethiopia, 2006

Laurent Geslin / Religious painting on wall of Orthodox christian church of Debre Berhan silase, Gondhar, North Ethiopia, 2006

Laurent Geslin / Ceiling painted with faces of angels in Orthodox christian church of Debre Berhan silase, Gondhar, North Ethiopia, 2006

Gavin Hellier / Orthodox Student Church in the centre of Bucharest, Romania 2006

Gavin Hellier / Bell Tower of Orthodox Church overlooking the Caldera in Fira, Santorini (Thira), Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece, 2010

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Svyato-Vedenskiy Russian Orthodox Church in Dudinka. Taymyr, Northern Siberia, Russia, 2004.

Oriol Alamany / Russian orthodox church (1936) in St George village, Saint George Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, USA

Oriol Alamany / Person walking along road in mist with Russian orthodox church (1936) behind, St George, Saint George Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, USA

Pete Oxford / Russian orthodox church, Dutch harbour, Aleutian Island, Alaska, USA

Pete Oxford / Russian Orthodox grave sites, Dutch Harbour, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska, USA

Constantinos Petrinos / Greek Orthodox monastery, Meteora, Greece

Niall Benvie / Greek orthodox church at sunset, Georgioupoli, Crete April 1996

Gavin Hellier / The Trinity St. Sergiy Larva Monastery at Sergiev Posad, Near Moscow, Russia

Gavin Hellier / Greek Orthodox Curcu Bell at dusk, Santorini Island, Cyclades, Greece Europe

Gavin Hellier / Looking up to Chrisostomon Orthodox Church on Naxos, The Cyclades, Greece

Gavin Hellier / Church of Panagia Paraportiani, Mykonos / Hora, The Cyclades, Greece

Gavin Hellier / Orthodox Church in Fira, Santorini island (Thira), The Cyclades Greece Europe

Gavin Hellier / Greek orthodox Church dome, bells and roof, Santorini island, The Cyclades, Greece, Europe

Onne van der Wal / Greek Orthodox church dome on Spetse Island, Greece.

Robert Thompson / Holy Monastery of Varlaam on a rocky precipice high above valley floor, Thessalie region, Central Greece. May, 2022.

Robert Thompson / Inside view of Holy Monastery of Varlaam, Thessalie region, Central Greece. May, 2022.

Robert Thompson / Holy Monastery of Varlaam on a rocky precipice high above valley floor, Thessalie region, Central Greece. May, 2022.

Robert Thompson / Holy Monastery of Rousanou on rocky precipice high above valley floor, Thessalie region, Central Greece. May, 2022.

Robert Thompson / Holy Monastery of Rousanou on rocky precipice high above valley floor, Thessalie region, Central Greece. May, 2022.

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest watering young tree in tree nursery within church forest on Tana Kirkos. Church forests are forest fragments surrounding orthodox churches, remaining intact in a largely deforested landscape as...

Bruno D'Amicis / Little bee-eater (Merops pusillus), five gathering on branch to roost overnight. In church forest on Tana Kirkos. Church forests are forest fragments surrounding orthodox churches, remaining intact in...

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest examining vegetation in church forest on Tana Kirkos. Church forests are forest fragments surrounding orthodox churches, remaining intact in a largely deforested landscape as they are considere...

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest walking along shore of Lake Tana, with church forest in background. Church forests are forest fragments surrounding orthodox churches, remaining intact in a largely deforested landscape as they...

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest examining vegetation in church forest on Tana Kirkos. Church forests are forest fragments surrounding orthodox churches, remaining intact in a largely deforested landscape as they are considere...

Bruno D'Amicis / Young priest standing in front of mural paintings in the sanctum of Ura Kidane Mehret, an Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Zege Peninsula, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Young priest standing in front of mural paintings in the sanctum of Ura Kidane Mehret, an Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Zege Peninsula, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Young priest standing in front of mural paintings in the sanctum of Ura Kidane Mehret, an Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Zege Peninsula, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Young priest standing in front of mural paintings in the sanctum of Ura Kidane Mehret, an Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Zege Peninsula, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / NABU staff member showing birds in guide book to people of Wagira Maryam church. In church forest, a forest fragment surrounding the orthodox church, remaining intact in a largely deforested landscape...

Bruno D'Amicis / Aerial view of habitat fragmentation with degraded land surrounding church forest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church. Forest cover in Ethiopia has fallen from 40% to 4.2% in 50 years. Church forest...

Bruno D'Amicis / Aerial view of habitat fragmentation with degraded land surrounding church forest of Abe Libanose Orthodox Church. Forest cover in Ethiopia has fallen from 40% to 4.2% in 50 years. Church forests rema...

Bruno D'Amicis / Aerial view of habitat fragmentation with degraded land surrounding church forest of Abe Libanose Orthodox Church. Forest cover in Ethiopia has fallen from 40% to 4.2% in 50 years. Church forests rema...

Bruno D'Amicis / Aerial view of habitat fragmentation with degraded land surrounding church forest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church, Lake Tana in distance. Forest cover in Ethiopia has fallen from 40% to 4.2% in...

Bruno D'Amicis / Aerial view of habitat fragmentation with degraded land surrounding church forest of Wagira Mariam Orthodox Church, in morning light. Forest cover in Ethiopia has fallen from 40% to 4.2% in 50 years....

Bruno D'Amicis / Aerial view of livestock walking along stone wall surrounding church forest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church. Forest cover in Ethiopia has fallen from 40% to 4.2% in 50 years. Church forests rema...

Bruno D'Amicis / Priests teaching students in forest of Wagira Maryam Orthodox Church. Near Hamusit, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / People attending Sunday morning service at Wonchet Michail Orthodox Church. Near Hamusit, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Bush hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei), two in tree in church forest at Wonchet Michail Orthodox Church. Church forests remain largely intact as they are considered sacred. Near Hamusit, Ethiopia.

Bruno D'Amicis / People attending Sunday service at Wonchet Michail Orthodox Church walking through church forest. Church forests remain largely intact in a degraded landscape as they are considered sacred. Near Hamus...

Bruno D'Amicis / Monks attending fire at night in church forest of Wonchet Michail Orthodox Church. Near Hamusit, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Church student in hut within grounds of Zara Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Near Hamusit, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / People walking under forest canopy to join Sunday service at church located within forest. Fragments of original Afromontane forest survive as sacred groves around the many ancient Ethiopian Orthodox...

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest praying in church forest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as they are considered sacred. Near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest praying in church forest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church, portrait. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as they are considered sacred. Near Bahir Dar, Ethiopi...

Bruno D'Amicis / Men in church forest attending Sunday service at Debre Sina Orthodox Church. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as they are considered sacred. Near Gorgora, Ethiopia. 201...

Bruno D'Amicis / Deacons and students singing during Sunday service at Debre Sina Orthodox Church. Near Gorgora, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Painted mural in sanctum of Debre Sina Orthodox Church. Near Gorgora, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Deacon revealing mural paintings in sanctum of Debre Sina Orthodox Church. Near Gorgora, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Deacons and students singing during Sunday service at Debre Sina Orthodox Church. Near Gorgora, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest standing beside Lake Tana at sunset. Mandaba Medhane Alhem Orthodox Monastery, near Gorgora, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest silhouetted beside Lake Tana at sunset. Mandaba Medhane Alhem Orthodox Monastery, near Gorgora, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Priest ringing bell hanging from tree in church forest of Mandaba Medhane Alhem Orthodox Monastery. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as they are considered sacred. Near...

Bruno D'Amicis / Herders with grazing cattle below church forest of Tara Gedam Orthodox Church. Church forests remain largely intact within a landscape degraded by felling and overgrazing. The forests have a symbolic...

Bruno D'Amicis / Church forest of Tara Gedam Orthodox Church in evening light. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as they are considered sacred. Near Addis Zemen, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Lead priest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church walking around stone wall built to prevent livestock entering the church forest. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as t...

Bruno D'Amicis / Church students inside hut at Saint Michael Orthodox Church. Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / People attending celebration of Saint Michael at Saint Michael Orthodox Church in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Bush hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei) on window ledge of Wonchet Michail Orthodox Church. Near Hamusit, Ethiopia. 2018.

Bruno D'Amicis / Man herding zebu cattle along stone wall surrounding the church forest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as they are considered sa...

Bruno D'Amicis / Person herding zebu cattle along stone wall fencing church forest of Gindatemen Michail Orthodox Church. Church forests remain largely intact within a degraded landscape as they are considered sacred....

Bruno D'Amicis / People walk under forest canopy to join Sunday service at the church located within the forest, near Bahir Dar on the shores of Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Fragments of original Afromontane forest surviv...