Aksum

“A holy city of towering stone and the Ark of the Covenant”

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Photo: Sailko · CC BY 3.0

Scenes

King Ezana's stele carved like a many-storeyed tower, among plain granite monoliths — A stele carved like a many-storeyed building rises to the skySailko · CC BY 3.0

Interior of the old Church of Mary of Zion, its sanctuary veiled in red and gold curtains — The old Church of Mary of Zion, its holy of holies hidden behind curtainsSailko · CC BY 3.0

Granite stelae of Aksum piercing the sky beyond a mass of bougainvillea — The stelae of Aksum rising to the sky beyond the flowersAdam Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0

Exterior of the old Church of Mary of Zion, crenellated and topped with an Ethiopian cross above three arched windows — The old Church of Mary of Zion, the holiest church in EthiopiaSailko · CC BY 3.0

Meaning

Giant granite obelisks pierce the sky above the grass, and beside them a church where, tradition holds, the Ark of the Covenant sleeps — the morning of a holy city opens.

Ethiopian Orthodox tradition holds Aksum as the holy city of the ancient kingdom that received Christianity in the 4th century; it is understood as a root of the faith for its towering granite stelae and the Church of Mary of Zion, said to house the Ark of the Covenant.

Field notes

Location: Aksum · Ethiopia · N14.1° · E38.7°
Best time: The feast of Mary of Zion in November; early mornings in the dry season (October–February)
Getting there: A domestic flight from Addis Ababa to Aksum, or overland across the Tigray highlands.
Etiquette: Worship continues here; quiet and modest dress are appreciated.

Sources

· UNESCO World Heritage
· Encyclopaedia Britannica

UNESCO World Heritage Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.