Axum or Aksum (Tigrinya: ኣኽሱም Ak̠ʷsəm; Amharic: አክሱም Ak̠sum)
Axum is a highland city located in the Maekelay Zone in the Tigray Region and 1,149.0 km from the city of Addis Ababa. This city was the hub of the Aksumite Empire, which adopted Christianity.
The city of Axum was the administrative seat of an empire spanning one million square miles. The empire reached its peak under Emperor Ezana, baptized as Abraham, in the 4th century (this was the officially embraced Christianity). Axum was the traditional place where Ethiopian Emperors came to be crowned.
The heart of ancient Ethiopia, The Kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia, which ruled the region from about 400 BCE into the 10th century. It predates the earliest mentions in Roman-era writings. Around 356 CE, its ruler was converted to Christianity by Frumentius.
The Aksumite Empire was a civilization full of innovations creation that still hasn´t been understood how they were created. This empire had its own written language, Ge'ez, and developed a distinctive architecture exemplified by giant obelisks, the oldest of which (though much smaller) date from 5000–2000 BCE. These include monolithic obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs and the ruins of ancient castles.
According to the Old Testament, The Queen of Sheba was born in Axum and traveled to Jerusalem, Israel to meet King Solomon. They had a son named Menelik, who later became the first emperor of Ethiopia. Menelik brought the original Ark of the Covenant back to Ethiopia from Israel. The Arc, which once housed the Ten Commandments, remains well hidden in Axum. It is guarded by a select group of monks, whose sole commitment is to protect the sacred vessel. Their significance is still under investigation by archaeologists.
Axum Monument - Stele
The Axum´s known monuments are steles. These obelisks are around 1,700 years old and have become a symbol for the city of Axum even the country Ethiopia. The largest number are in the Northern Stelae Park.
The Great Stele: ranging up to the 33 meters long (3.84 meters wide, 2.35 meters deep, weighing 520 tonnes). It is found in the ground on the northern stelae park and is believed to have fallen and broken during construction.
The Obelisk of Axum: It is 24.6 meters high, (2.32 meters wide, 1.36 meters deep, weighing 170 tonnes) was removed by the Italian army in 1937, and returned to Ethiopia in 2005 and reinstalled July 31, 2008. This stele was already broken into pieces before being shipped.
King Ezana´s stele: The most famous stele largest of those that remain unbroken, with 23 meters (23meters high above the front base plate, 2.65 meters wide, 1.18 meters deep, weighing 160 tonnes).
King Ezana´s stele: The most famous stele largest of those that remain unbroken, with 23 meters (23meters high above the front baseplate, 2.65 meters wide, 1.18 meters deep, weighing 160 tonnes).
Three more stelae measure 18.2 meters high, 1.56 meters wide, 0.76 meters deep, weighing 56 tonnes; 15.8 meters high, 2.35 meters wide, one meter deep, weighing 75 tonnes; 15.3 meters high, 1.47 meters wide, 0.78 meters deep, weighing 43 tonnes. The stelae are believed to mark the graves and would have had cast metal discs affixed to their sides, which are also carved with architectural designs. The Gudit Stelae to the west of town, unlike the northern area, are interspersed with mostly 4th-century tombs.
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