Monument sights in Aksum
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Tombs of Kings Kaleb & Gebre Meskel
Set on a small hill and offering views of the distant jagged mountains of Adwa are the monumental Tombs of Kings Kaleb & Gebre Meskel . According to local tradition, they're attributed to the 6th-century King Kaleb and his son, King Gebre Meskel. Kaleb was one of Aksum's most important rulers and succeeded in bringing southern Arabia under Aksumite rule.
Although the twin tombs' architecture resembles the Tomb of the False Door, they actually show more sophistication, using irregular-shaped self-locking stones that don't require iron clamps. The 19th-century British traveller Theodore Bent exclaimed magnanimously that the tombs were 'built with a regularity which if found…
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Rome Stele
At 24.6m high, the Rome Stele - or Aksum Obelisk to those in Rome - is the second-largest stele ever produced at Aksum and the largest to have ever been successfully raised. Like the Great Stele, its ornate carvings of multistoried windows and doors adorn all four sides. Pillagers raiding the site are believed to have accidentally caused its collapse sometime between the 10th and 16th centuries.
In 1937 its broken remains were shipped to Italy on Mussolini's personal orders. There it was reassembled and raised once more, this time in Rome's Piazza di Porta Capena. It remained in Rome until 2005, when decades of negotiations finally overcame diplomatic feet-dragging.
After …
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Great Stele
Lying like a broken soldier, this massive 33m Great Stele is believed to be the largest single block of stone that humans have ever attempted to erect, and overshadows even the Egyptian obelisks in its conception and ambition. Scholars theorise that it fell during its erection sometime early in the 4th century.
Comparing the unworked 'root' to the sleek, carved base and the intricate walia ibex carvings near its top gives you a vivid idea of the precision, finesse and technical competence of Aksumite's stone workers.
As it toppled it collided with the massive 360-tonne stone sheltering the central chamber of Nefas Mawcha's tomb. This shattered the upper portion of stele an…
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King Ezana's Stele
The Northern Stelae Field is Ethiopia's biggest and most important stelae field. It contains over 120 stelae, though the original number was higher - some have been removed, others probably lie buried. Although standing slightly off kilter, the magnificent 24m-high King Ezana's Stele at the field's entrance has done something no other stele of similar stature has - remained standing!
Henry Salt, the British traveller and first foreigner to describe it in 1805, proclaimed it 'the most admirable and perfect monument of its kind'.
It's considered by many as the most important of Aksum's stelae because it holds important religious significance. The stone platform at its base i…
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Tomb of the False Door
In 1972 the unique Tomb of the False Door was discovered. Known locally as the Tomb of King Ramhai, it lies in the western extremity of the Northern Stelae Field and is thought to date between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. More complex in structure, its stone blocks are also larger and more finely dressed than those found in some other tombs. Comprising an antechamber and inner chamber, it's surrounded on three sides by a passage.
Above the tomb, at ground level, a rectangular, probably flat-roofed building would once have stood (measuring some 12 sq metres by 2.8m high). Above the stairs descending into the tomb's chamber was a stone slab carved with a false door almost …
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Gudit Stelae Field
Though less immediately arresting than those found in town, the stelae in the Gudit Stelae Field, are still worth a visit. Named after Queen Gudit, most stelae in this field are small, undressed and lie on the ground. Locals suggest the largest stele marks the Queen of Sheba's grave. Despite excavations in the 1970s and 1990s, little is known about the field.
Though some mark graves, neither rock-hewn nor constructed tombs have been found. Finds here did include a set of fine 3rd-century glass goblets, which has led scholars to suggest the area was the burial site of Aksumite society's lesser nobles. Taking an official guide with you is recommended.
The walk to the complex…
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King Bazen's Tomb
Despite being the crudest of tombs, roughly hewn into solid rock instead of constructed with fine masonry, King Bazen's Tomb has a slightly magical feel about it. Stand in its dark depths and look up its rock-hewn stairs through its arched entranceway and you'll see why. It's even better if explored by candlelight.
According to local tradition, King Bazen is thought to have reigned at Christ's birth. The style of the tomb is likely consistent with that period.
Near the tomb's entrance there's a rectangular pit containing a row of smaller burial chambers (including a few which appear to be unfinished). Judging from the number of tombs and stelae found nearby, the burial sit…
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Lioness of Gobedra
It was here that the Archangel Mikael fought a tremendous battle with a fierce lioness. The fight ended when the saint mustered all his strength and hurled the lion into a massive boulder. The impact had such force that the outline of the beast is still visible today. If it sounds like a story that legends are made of, you're right. It's only a legend! Who's responsible for the work or when it was created is still anyone's guess.
It's often overlooked by visitors, but is worth the visit, especially since it's so close to the ancient quarries of Aksum. It's quite a rough walk from the road over boulders and through scrub, and you'll need a guide or one of the - all too wil…
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King Ezana's Inscription
On the way up to the tombs of Kings Kaleb and Gebre Meskel, you'll pass a little shack containing a remarkable find stumbled upon by a farmer in 1981. Inside is King Ezana's Inscription, an Ethiopian version of the Rosetta stone, a pillar inscribed in Sabaean, Ge'ez and Greek. It dates between AD 330 and AD 350 and records King Ezana's Christian military campaigns in Ethiopia and southern Arabia, as well as his quest to return the Ark to Aksum from Lake Tana.
The inscription apparently contains a curse: 'the person who should dare to move the tablet will meet an untimely death'. Needless to say, the tablet remains exactly where it was found! You should tip the guardian fo…
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Ezana Park
Within a rather ugly tin-roofed tukul in Ezana Park is another famous 4th-century AD stone of King Ezana. This inscription is also written in Sabaean, Ge'ez and Greek and records the honorary titles and military victories of the king over his 'enemies and rebels'. One section of script thanks the God of War, thus placing the stone's age before Ezana's conversion to Christianity.
It was moved to its present location from eastern Aksum by the Italians in the 1930s because, of all things, it stood in the way of their plan to widen the road.
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Tomb of Nefas Mawcha
The megalithic Tomb of Nefas Mawcha consists of a large rectangular central chamber surrounded on three sides by a passage. The tomb is unusual for its large size, the sophistication of the structure and the size of the stones used for its construction (the stone which roofs the central chamber measures 17.3m by 6.4m and weighs some 360 tonnes!). It's believed the force of the Giant Stele crashing into its roof caused the tomb's spectacular collapse.
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