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Axum (or the phonetically equivalent Aksum) was the capital of the ancient Aksumite Kingdom which was a naval and trading power that ruled the area from about 400BC until the 10th century AD.

Axum is probably most known as the home of the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, where the Ark of the Covenant (which holds the stone tablets on which the 10 commandments are written) was/is stored. Axum is still regarded as the resting place for the original Ark but it is now housed in a special chapel (the Chapel of the Tablet) next to the church. There are other important archeological items in Axum including stelaes (obelisks) marking ancient tombs, the tomb of King Bazen, one of the three kings who visited Christ at his birth, the Ezana Stone  written in three ancient languages: Sabaean, Ge’ez and Ancient Greek in similar manner to the Rosetta Stone,  and the baths of Queen of Sheba. We are here to see and understand more about this important period of Ethiopian history.   People rightly question did the Queen of Sheba really call the town’s dusty streets home? Does the Ark of the Covenant that holds Moses’ 10 Commandments reside in a small Aksum chapel? Is one of the Three Wise Men really buried here? And what exactly do those famous stelae signify?”

Axum has a population of about 56,000 and lies at an altitude of 2131 meters (6991 ft) so the evenings are still quite cool although the daytime temperatures are expected to be in the low 80s. My experience so far is the humidity is very low and there usually is a breeze so it is pleasant, but dusty. As a result morning sunrises and evening sunsets are pretty specular, even without the presence of any clouds.

We first went to the main Stelae Park to see the obelisks that date back to the 4th century AD. They are thought to be grave markers as beneath them were chambers thought to be burial sites of royalty. Grave robbers over the centuries have removed any trace of the meaning of the chambers. The largest obelisk is 33 meters long and estimated to weigh 160 tons. It no longer is standing and has broken in several pieces. There are still several stelae still standing, including one dedicated to the 4th century King Ezana who introduced Christianity to Ethiopia .

Across the square is the important Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, probably the most important church in Ethiopia as it claims to be where the Ark of the Covenant was brought in the 10th century BC by King Melenik I. The original church dated back to the 4th century AD but several churches have since occupied the site; the current one built in 1950s by Haile Selassie. The Ark is now housed in a special chapel near the church. No one is allowed in the chapel except the priest in charge, who has a lifetime appointment. We also toured a small museum with ancient manuscripts, crowns, vestments and church articles but were not allowed to take any photos.

After lunch our tour of Axum continued with a visit to King Bazen’s tomb which was surprisingly located  in the back street of the city. We all know him as Balthazar, one of the three wise men who brought frankincense from Ethiopia as his gift to baby Jesus.

The other famous structures in the Axum area that we visited was the supposed Palace of the Queen of Sheba. It is in ruins now but historians feel she had lived in the region at the time. She is mentioned in the the Bible of having met with King Solomon over 3000 years ago and had  a son, Melenik, as a result of the encounter. Melinek later became King of Ethiopia. Historians are in disagreement as to who she really was and where she lived. Most agree she is linked to the kingdom of Saba, which was located in present day Yemen, but which was part of Ethiopia once.

Nearby the palace is what is claimed to have been the Queen of Sheba’s bath. It is very large and is still in use today. Also nearby is the Ezana stone which is engraved on three sides in three different languages the story of the conversion of King Ezana to Christianity and his victories over his enemies during his rule from 330-356AD.

Our last visit was to the tombs of King Kaleb and his son, King Gebre Meskel,  that date back to the 6th century. What makes them unique is the precise cutting and locking of the stone blocks, technology that was not known elsewhere in the world at the time.

In the late afternoon before dinner we walked down the street from the hotel to a sidewalk stand to participate in a traditional Ethiopian event-the coffee ceremony. We sat on small stools as the beautiful young lady performed the ceremony. It entails roasting the coffee beans over a charcoal fire. Once the beans start smoking she walked around to allow everyone to smell the aroma of the roasted beans. Next comes the hand grinding of the beans, again with an offering of the fresh smell to the participants. The coffee is finally brewed as incense is burned nearby. Small cups of the potent brew were served to us, with sugar as an option, although the Ethiopians usually add two spoons of sugar to the brew. The sidewalks are lined with  small venues like this for passing people. Restaurants commonly have a space where the coffee ceremony is performed. Ethiopians even do this several times of the day in their homes. Coffee drinking is a serious part of the Ethiopian life.

The dinner at a local restaurant was a big disappointment for virtually everyone. I had vegetable soup as a starter, which turned out to be the highlight of the meal as my main of a mixed grill proved to be a disaster. The food (pieces of beef, lamb and chicken) was dry and tough. So much for free range animals!  I had to laugh at the accompaniment of six ( I counted them) small barely warm French fries on the plate. Others had similar experiences with their meals. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

Tomorrow we move on to our next stop, Mekelle.