Addis Ababa Travel Guide

Axum

Axum is a city in far northern Ethiopia that is believed by Ethiopian Christians to be home to the Ark of the Covenant, housed in the 16th century Church of St Mary of Zion. The city was once the centre of a mighty empire, although from the 10th century it declined into insignificance leaving behind a dusty, lugubrious town largely ignorant of its glorious past. Axum's other major attraction is possibly more remarkable than its putative Ark: its stone obelisks (stellae), weighing up to 500 tonnes, and dating from around 300AD. In 2008 one such obelisk was returned to Ethiopia with great fanfare after having been looted by Italy in the early 20th century.