🗿 Aksum (Obelisks and Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion)
Ethiopia
About This Sacred Site
Aksum (Axum) was the capital of the powerful Aksumite Empire and is considered the holiest city in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition. The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion is believed by Ethiopians to house the original Ark of the Covenant, brought from Jerusalem by Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The Ark is guarded by a single monk who never leaves the chapel and who is the only person permitted to see it. The ancient stelae field contains enormous carved granite obelisks, the tallest standing at 24 meters, which served as funerary monuments for the Aksumite kings. Aksum is where Ethiopian Christianity took root in the 4th century CE.
Key Facts
- •Ethiopians believe the original Ark of the Covenant is housed in the Chapel of the Tablet
- •A single guardian monk is the only person permitted to see the Ark
- •The tallest standing stela is 24 meters and weighs approximately 160 tonnes
- •The Aksumite Empire was one of the four great powers of the ancient world
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980
Location
Coordinates: 14.1308, 38.7200
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