What are the stone monuments in Aksum?
The most impressive monuments are the monolithic obelisks, royal tombs and the palace ruins dating to the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Several stelae survive in the town of Aksum dating between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.
What is unique about Axum?
Interesting Facts about the Kingdom of Aksum It is a fairly small city with a population of just over 50,000 people. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Africa. The stone buildings in Aksum were built without the use of mortar. Instead, the stones were carved to fit snugly together.
Why should I visit Axum?
Despite being a small town, there really is a lot to see in and around Axum. For starters, there’s tons of historical monuments, churches, obelisks and tombs, as well as an interesting museum and some beautiful cobbled streets that will take you the best part of full day to explore.
What did Axum built?
Churches were built, monasteries founded, and translations made of the Bible. The most important church was at Axum, the Church of Maryam Tsion, which, according to later Ethiopian medieval texts, housed the Ark of the Covenant.
What is the geography of Axum?
The local geography contributed to the rise of Aksum. The city is located some 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) above sea level, on a plateau. Its climate, rainfall patterns, and fertile soil made the area suitable for herding livestock and agriculture.
What rocks are the stone obelisks of Axum made of?
The stelae were carved mainly from solid blocks of nepheline syenite, a weather-resistant rock similar in appearance to granite, and are believed to have come from the quarries of Wuchate Golo several miles to the west of Aksum.
What architecture is Axum known for?
Today, the former imperial capital at Aksum contains some of the best-preserved examples of Aksumite-style architecture, including stelae from the third and fourth centuries, and obelisks, royal tombs, and palaces dating from the sixth and seventh centuries.
What was the kingdom of Axum known for?
The Kingdom of Aksum is notable for a number of achievements, such as its own alphabet, the Ge’ez alphabet. Under Emperor Ezana, Aksum adopted Christianity, which gave rise to the present-day Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church.
What is Axum religion?
Axum became the first state in Africa to adopt Christianity as its official faith and at the time was among only a handful of Christian states in the world. Roman Emperor Constantine embraced the faith in 312 A.D. Other small Christian states were scattered around the eastern Mediterranean region.
What food did Aksum eat?
The main exports of Aksum were agricultural products. The land was fertile during the time of the Aksumites, and the principal crops were grains such as wheat and barley. The people of Aksum also raised cattle, sheep, and camels. Wild animals were hunted for ivory and rhinoceros horns.
What was the climate like in Axum?
Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Axum Ethiopia. In Axum, the wet season is comfortable and overcast and the dry season is warm and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 51°F to 84°F and is rarely below 47°F or above 87°F.
Who built Obelisk of Axum?
King Ezana
The Obelisks of Axum Built in the 4th century by King Ezana, the 160 tonne monument had stood in place for over a thousand years, until the colonial aspirations of a nation far from Ethiopia arrived at her borders.