Axum - the Lost Kingdom
In Ethiopia, no other town occupies a more
important position and represents more glory in the
history of the country than does Axum. Numerous
kings and queens reigned here, including the
legendary Queen of Sheba and King Ezana, who
first introduce Christianity to the horn of Africa.
Despite that the power and prosperity of Axumite
kingdom once rivaled those of Rome, Persia and
China, Axum is rarely known by outsiders. Its
geographic isolation keeps it from hordes of mass
tourists. It remains as a little town, cozy, charming
and pleasant, for a few keen travellers. There is no
tour couch here, neither are there many annoying
“hustlers” offering unwanted service. Only a few
roadside souvenir shops quietly but perhaps
desperately wait for a few adventurous visitors.
The Axumites have hoped to
bring prosperity through
tourism. Modern hotels are
being built, and hotel
managers greet passengers in
the airport every flight. I was
taken to the new Remhai
Hotel, which had a quality of
service and an indemnity
comparable to those in
European tourist cities.
Axum is tiny, but not dusty.
Its size makes it free from
bustling mini-buses, taxis and
garis (a kind of horse-drawn
passenger carriage). Strolling down the centrally
divided avenue, I could hardly imagine that it was
once the place where a great civilisation thrived.
Ninety-eight percent of the ancient Axum remains
unexcavated. But the road soon turned north when
it reached the big tree at the town’s old quarter.
Within minutes I was greeted with the first sight of
ancient Axum - the stelae field.
Amid the forest of mighty stelae, my imagination
seemed to be evoked by the painting occupying the
wall in the dinning hall of Remhai Hotel.
Thousands of years ago, these monoliths, some
weighted several hundred tons and measured tens
of metres, were cracked from the granite quarry
three miles away, hurled and erected by
the sheer power of men and elephants
as symbols of authority and glory of
the rulers. But perhaps the emperor did
over-estimate his slaves and animals.
The largest stele toppled during its
erection. Today, this 33-metre lying
giant provides visitors a closer look at its
extraordinary craftsmanship.
On the way to the hilltop, I stopped by
the Bath of Queen of Sheba. The plainlooking rock-hewn reservoir has now
become a swimming and laundry pool
for local kids and women. I tried hard
to put myself into the time-tunnel, and imagine
how the Queen ruled an area so big that it extended
from Ethiopia into modern-day Yemen. No one has
left a portrait of the enigmatic Queen. I imagine she
must be as beautiful as Sheherazade.
But there is no doubt about the Queen’s desire and
pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. When she heard
about the wisdom of King Solomon, she defied all
the hardship and travelled to Jerusalem to learn from
Monoliths point heaven-ward in Axum’s stelae park.
For thousands of years, stelae have been used in East
Africa as symbols of power and glory of the ruling class.
But it was the Kingdom of Axum that brought the stelae
making technology to its pinnacle. The height of these
2000-year-old stelea in Axum can range from merely one
to more than thirty metres. Some are plain looking and
others are finely carved with exceptional craftsmanship.
him. Whether her union with Solomon was a trick
devised by the King himself, or a result of mutual
admiration, or physical desire, their tale described in
the Ethiopian Epic Kebra Negast is nevertheless
touching and beautiful.
From the hilltop café at the luxurious Yeha Hotel, I
overlooked Axum’s skyline, which dominated by
At Denver Road,
the large bayan
tree still serves as
Axum’s centre of
daily activities.
Israelis were depressed to see themselves leaving the
Holy Land of Jerusalem, and decided to take the
Holy Ark of the Covenant with them. It was all too
late when the King discovered the fact, only could
he consoled by the Holy spirit that it was his own
son who took the Holy Ark. On the other hand, the
Queen of Sheba, Melenik and his company were
overjoyed when convoy reached Axum.
Amid the lush trees, the massive new St Mary of
Zion Church and its bell tower dominating Axum’s
skyline. It was built by the last Emperor Haile
Selassie as a pride of his Solomonic line.
Today, the Holy Ark of Covenant sits quietly inside a
modest chapel in the St Mary of Zion Church
compound full of lush azalea and lemon trees. No
one has the privilege even to take a glimpse of the
Ark, except the life-long guardian who would never
leave the chapel. However, as a male visitor, I did
have the privilege seeing the crowns of generations
the large spherical dome of the St Mary of Zion
Church. Apparently, Emperor Haile Selassie had
never forgotten his Solomonic linkage. He
initialised its construction in 1960s. Since then, the
giant church and its bell tower have dwarfed the
more historical old churches.
Some twenty years after the Queen’s journey, her
son Melenik had decide to travel to Jerusalem to see
his father. During his three-year sojourn in
Jerusalem, the young man was taught and imparted
with books and knowledge. However, his heart was
in Ethiopia, despite the King’s offer to be the ruler
Israel after his death. Reluctantly, the King
permitted him to leave, but not without ordering
twelve thousand Israelis as his company. These
Under the spherical dome of the new St Mary of Zion
Church, a church keeper displaying a holy book commonly
seen in all all Ethiopian churches depicting Virgin Mary
and St George killing the serpent.
of emperors, as well entering the old
church to enjoy some of the finest
murals in Ethiopia.
The 24-metre King
Ezana’s stele is the
third tallest in
Axum. While the
tallest Great Stele
lies broken nearby,
the second tallest,
measuring 25
metres, is standing
at Rome’s Piazza di
Porta as a result of
Mussolini’s direct
order.
The three-day sojourn in Axum was
like flipping through a three-thousandpage book of Ethiopian history in three
minutes. Like other tourists, I stepped
into the plane hastily for the next
destination. However, everything I
witnessed and learnt in this
unpretentious little town will stay not
only in my films but also deep in my
memory.
(Above): Lemons ripe in the beautiful courtyard of the St Mary of
Zion church compound, which consists of the spherical-dome new
church, the rectangular old church exclusively for men built by
Emperor Fasiladas in the 17th century and, most importantly, the
small church housing the true Ark of the Covenant. (Right):The
33-metre, 517-ton Great Stele is the largest single block of stone
that human tried to erect. Carved around 4th century AD, the stele
is now believed to have never been stood. It might have toppled
during it erection.
Visitors can take a peek outside an iron
fence at the exterior of a small chapel,
which appears to be humble compared
with the new church in the St Mary of
Zion Church compound. The chapel is
believed to be the home of the real Ark of
the Covenant - the holiest element and
foundation of the Ethiopian orthodox
church. The Atang, the monk who
shoulders the task of guarding the Ark,
will never leave the chapel until his death.
Some of the numerous murals inside the 17thcentury old St Mary of Zion church. (Right):The
Emperor was so captivated by the music of St
Yared that he unknowingly leaned his spear on
Yared’s foot. Unawared of the pain, St Yared
sang on until he finished the song. St Yared was
born in Axum in 525AD in a humble family.
During his childhood Yared was a poor pupil
struggling to understand the teaching of church.
One day, he ran away from punishment. Crying
and hungry, he came to rest under a tree. But he
noticed an insect succeeded in climbing up the
tree after six failures. The young Yared learnt the
wisdom of God. He went back to school and
became an outstanding student. Later he also
developed a unique musical notation used by the
church. The example of St Yared has become an
inspiration of young
priests who face
enormous challenge in
learning church
scriptures. (Left): The
nine Saints of Ethiopia.
For generations, these
Saints have served as
bedrocks to the
Ethiopian orthodox
church for education and
inspiration.
Azalea blossoms
outside the huge
dome of the Church
of St. Mary, Axum.