In the 10th and 11th centuries BC the beautiful Queen of Sheba ruled in Axum. According to legend, she once visited the biblical King Solomon in Jerusalem, who was very fond of her. Shortly after her return to Axum, the future King Menelik was born. Thus, the Ethiopian culture was born. Since this time, the country has been ruled – with only a few interruptions – by an empire that claims to be descendants from the biblical King Solomon. The last monarch in this line was Emperor Haile Selassie I, who was in power until 1974.
The Axumite Kingdom is the foundation of Ethiopian culture and the countries national identity. In the first centuries before and after the birth of Christ the empire was in it’s prime, stretching from eastern Sudan to what is Yemen today and along the Nile far into the interior of the land. The Persian scribe Manny wrote in the 3rd century AD that, in addition to Persia, Rome and China, the Axumite Empire was one of the four largest and most powerful empires of its time. The Axumites regularly traded goods with India, Arabia, Persia and Rome. Its capital city Axum displayed its pride and wealth with beautiful and carefully built stone houses, adorned with stone statues. The most important and influential leader was King Ezana who, in the early 4th century, ruled the land together with his twin brother Saizana. Ezana converted to Christianity and imposed it as the state religion. He shaped the future developments of the Ethiopian culture like no other.
The Stelae * Some of the most amazing technical masterpieces of the Axumites are the large granite pillars, some reaching 33 metres in height, which were used to mark royal burial chambers. Large stelae fields can be found just outside the city. Even today, the stelae erected in the time of the Axumite Empire rise sharply towards the sky. The main stelae field was erected opposite the Cathedral of Tsion Maryam and consists of 75 pillars of various sizes, all within an area of less than 1,000 square metres. The 23 meter high stele dedicated to King Ezana dominates the field. Decorated with ornate reliefs, its stone comes from a quarry located four kilometres away. Presumably, the huge monolith was transported with the help of elephants. How these, and all other stelae were erected, however, remains a mystery.
The award for the largest stele goes to that of King Remhai (3rd century). Now broken into pieces on the ground, the structure once measured over 33 metres high. What is unclear is whether the 520 tonne stele was destroyed during the war of the Jewish Queen Gwudit in the 9th – 10th centuries, or whether it already broke while being erected, around 1,700 years earlier and have been lying on the ground ever since.
The burial chambers belonging to the stelae are located below the ground, in vaulted rooms, some of which are connected by galleries accessible through tunnels no higher than a man. The building of the burial chambers captivate with their detailed masonry and many of the rooms were also carved directly out of the rock. Royal sarcophagi can still be found in some of the burial chambers.
The Palace of Dongar * To witness the majesty of old Axum, visit the ruins of the Palace of Dongar. The foundations of the buildings were first discovered in the 1950’s and the floor plan suggests a structure of more than 50 rooms grouped around various courtyards. In the heart of the complex stands the real palace, with prominent halls and towers. The remains of three even larger palaces were exposed at the beginning of the 1900’s but have now been built over by the modern city.
The Cathedral of Tsion Maryam * Axum is not only remembered for it’s rich past. Today, the city is the most important and sacred location for the Ethiopian Orthodox church, where the greatest Christian relic is kept. It has been said that the sacred Ark of the Covenant, containing the biblical Tablets of Stone with the Ten Commandments that Moses received on Mount Sinai, can be found in a specifically built building on the grounds of the Cathedral of Tsion Maryam. It is noted that a half a millennium before the birth of Christ, the tablets were stolen from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Ethiopia. There, they were first placed on an island in Lake Tana and later transferred to Axum. However, authenticity of these theories is difficult to prove. The stone tablets are beyond any scientific investigation since only one person has access to the sanctuary – a specially appointed monk who’s life mission is to guard the sacred Ark of the Covenant and whom can only name his successor on his death bed.
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Meals & Accommodation: Hotels and restaurants in a variety of prices ranges are available.
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