Marvelous Aksum, The Rich History of Ethiopia

Not many countries in the continent can compete with Ethiopia when it comes to magnificent historical sites and stunning landscapes. Aksum the ancient capital of the Ethiopian kingdom is perhaps the most visited site in the country and the tourist’s interest in this gorgeous site is increasing with each passing year. The palaces and tombs of the Ethiopian kings and queens and some great churches are the biggest attraction of the site but so is the gorgeous landscape of the region.

Aksum has its own airport which is well connected with the rest of region and considering the tiring experience of traveling on the roads of Ethiopia flying into Aksum seems a far better option. But there are no direct flights available for getting there so you will have to find a cheap flight to Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia.

As Aksum attracts the largest chunk of the tourists to the country so the Ethiopian authorities has put a lot of effort in improving its tourism infrastructure, so you will find quite a lot of hotels and resorts in the city from which you can choose one according to your taste and budget. The Church of St. Mary of Zion is the place most tourists first head to, this 17^th century church has quite a lot of legends associated to it. It is believed by the Ethiopians the church contains the ark of Convent from the church of Jerusalem that was stolen by the son of king Solomon. Unfortunately no one can access the chamber that contains this ark, not even the Ethiopian emperors. But the impressive architecture of the church is an attraction in itself although the entry fee to its building is quite hefty.

The second place that most tourists head to is the northern stelae field, the giant granite steles that were erected about 1800 years ago are still shrouded in mystery as it is still unknown why they were created at the first place. The largest and tallest of these stele measuring about 108 feet fell somewhere in 4^th century AD and still mesmerizes the tourists because of its gigantic size and one cannot imagine just how much effort was put into creating and erecting such a structure with the ancient building tools. It is believed by most archeologists that these stele were the symbols of different emperors that ruled the kingdom of Ethiopia in the ancient times. The stone quarry where these stele were built can still be visited and is located about 5 km from the city.

The giant statue of the Lioness of Gondera is located close to the stone quarry and is a beautiful piece of ancient stone work. The archaeological museum of Aksum is a place worth visiting as well as it has some gorgeous stone artifacts from the different eras of the ancient Ethiopia. The tombs of Queen Sheba and the emperor Kaleb and Gebre Meskel are also worth paying a visit to. The best way to explore the city is to do it in the company of a seasoned guide who can be hired either with the help of your tour operator or can be hired from Aksum’s tourist department.