AXUM STELAE [10 FACTS]

AXUM STELE FACTS. WORLD HERITAGE SITE, the cultural center of Tigray, Ethiopia's oldest culture dating back 3000yrs with many monuments

Stelae of Axum, Ethiopia, "Obelisks"

The kingdom of Axum lasted from the first to the eighth centuries AD. Positioned at the crossroads of three continents, Africa, Arabia and the Mediterranean. is was the most powerful nation between the Roman empire and Persia and it was the first state to formerly adopt Christianity around 325 AD. It also briefly granted asylum to some of the early followers of Mohammed in the seventh century. Ruins of palaces, buildings and tombs cover a wide area in the Tigray Plateau, the most impressive being the Axum, Ethiopia stelae or obelisks at the stelae field of present day Axum. Several stelae date between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Most of our hundreds of pictures are favored in Google! Why? Because no other website has so many beautiful high resolution pictures, taken by ourselves. Our pictures not only show you the beauty of Ethiopia, but they also show that we go everywhere, photographing wildlife, plants, people and culture. They show our professionalism, our keen eye for detail and our passion for the culture and nature of Ethiopia. So why consider booking our our Ethiopia Culture & National Parks modules? Because we don't mislead you like many tour operators do. When the Blue Nile falls are dry.... we tell you. When fog clouds the lava lake of Erte Ale? We let you know. Just drop us a mail and we will check it out for you.

Our tours take you to ALL famous cultural places of Ethiopia, and on top of that, you get to see up to 12 large nature reserves accompanied by a conservation forester. There is nothing similar on the market.

As Ethiopia can be combined with other East African countries, we organize tours in modules. Destinations Overview: Historical Circuit; Danakil Depression; Eastern Route; Simien Mountains; Bale Mountains; Southern Parks Safari; Gambella; Addis Ababa. BUT WAIT: if you buy your international ticket with Ethiopia Airlines, they will sell the internal flights at a price that you can't even ride the bus for. But you MUST plan it all in one package and making changes may be very costly. So let us help you plan your entire trip and book your local flights for an incredibly low price after you booked your international flight with Ethiopian Airlines!

While other stelae fields are known, such as the Gudit stelae field, none equal the scale and majestic designs at this UNESCO world heritage site. In fact, stelae of Axum were carved mainly from a rock similar to granite and are very weather-resistant. The erection of stelae in the Axumite empire was a very old practice for marking graves and underground burial chambers, some of which can still be seen at the Axum Stelae Field.

The most famous stela is the Obelisk of Axum a 1,700-year-old, 24-metre-tall obelisk, which was take by the Italians in 1937 during the occupation and returned to Axum in 2005 and re-erected in 2008.

In fact, Axum, Ethiopia stelae field is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Axum museum has a great collection of historical artefacts and is well worth visiting.

Hospitality at the home of a local family.

Tsion Maryam Cathedral

The Tsion Maryam Cathedral is the holiest place of worship of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and in importance comparable to the Vatican to the Roman Catholic Church. Supposedly it is home to the the Ark of the Covenant. According to legend, the Ark was taken from the ancient city of Jerusalem by a man named Menelik who was thought to be the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. He is said to have brought it home to Ethiopia for safe keeping and stored it at Tana Cherkos monastery for 800 years - a claim supported by records preserved in the Ethiopian Royal Chronicles. Whether  it concerns an ancient replica or the real ark, we will never know, as only once a year, the high priest of the Cathedral may enter the sanctorum and he is the only person alive ever having seen the holy relic. It is very unlikely that the Ethiopian Church will allow a scientific analysis to take place very soon. And lets be fair. Why would we want to de-sacrifice such beautiful myth? The actual location of the Ark is the chapel adjacent to the cathedral.

Tsion Maryam Cathedral.

Chapel at Tsion Maryam Cathedral with the Arc of the Convenant

Emperor Kaleb's Palace

Recent restorations reveal some of the walls of Emperor Kaleb's palace, who abdicated in favor of his son Gebre Meskel around the year 550. More conspicuous is the tomb with two sarcophaguses, supposedly belonging to both emperors.

Mai Shum, Queen Sheba's swimming pool

Another interesting monument is Mai Shum, popularly referred to as Queen Sheba's swimming pool. While it is doubful that the reservoir has served as the swimming pool of the mythical Queen Sheba, there is little doubt that the reservoir has played in important role in the Axumite history. As with so many monuments in Ethiopia, it has been somewhat restored but poorly so. But maybe that is the charm of a country that has gone it's own way, and which is lacking the sophistication of western restoration standards.

Above: Emperor Kaleb's Palace.

   Queen Sheba's Pool or Mai Shum.

Entrance to Kaleb's and Gebre Meskel's tombs.

Kaleb's and Gebre Meskel's tombs.

Basket industry

Axum has a number of great local art shops that specialize in colorful baskets.

Ethiopia modernizes and changes more rapidly than any other country in Africa. Many features may not be there anymore in the near future. If you want to see it the way it was for thousands of years, see it now before it has changed forever! Compose your own once-in-a-lifetime Ethiopia-Africa-Adventure from our affordable modules:

Famous Ethiopia Historical Circuit

Simien Mountains trek or car visit

Danakil Depression and Erte Ale Volcano Expedition

Awash Babile Harar Safari Tour

Ethiopia Central and Southern Parks & Tribes Safari Tour

Bale Mountains National Park and Sof Omar Caves Tour

Gambella National Park Safari

Addis Ababa City Tour & Airport Transfer

All Ethiopia modules and prices together

We designed our itineraries in such a way that you can compose a 1 to 4 weeks journey from different modules that can show you the entire country or just the parts that interest you, all depending on your personal preferences, available time and budget. Email us on your interests and we can discuss a custom program with you by phone (we have phone lines from the USA and Europe) or skype. So, weather you have a great ethnic affinity, are a birdwatcher or want to go on safari, contact us and we work out a customized program that focuses on YOUR interests.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is home of Ethiopian Airlines, featuring Africa's youngest fleet of the latest intercontinental jet airplanes - including 2 Dreamliners - as well as short-distance Bombardier turboprops for affordable and reliable in-country flights servicing all major cities of Ethiopia. The best airline of Africa, will fly you non-stop from the USA and Europe to Addis Ababa. Take our 1-week Ethiopia Cultural Monuments Tour and then continue for your Kenya or Tanzania safari - or any other East African capital - thus completing your journey. IF YOU BUY YOUR INTERNATIONAL TICKET FROM ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, YOU WILL GET MOST INTERNAL FLIGHTS FOR $40 - $70 PER LEG! BUT CHANGING AFTERWARDS IS EXPENSIVE, SO WORK OUT A SCHEDULE WITH US TO GET A FABULOUS DEAL FOR FLYING THROUGH THE COUNTRY IN STEAD OF SPENDING ENDLESS TIME ON THE ROAD!!!