Addis Ababa Attractions
John baptising Jesus © David Bjorgen
Axum
Axum is a city in far northern Ethiopia that is believed by
Ethiopian Christians to be home to the Ark of the Covenant, housed
in the 16th century Church of St Mary of Zion. The city was once
the centre of a mighty empire, although from the 10th century it
declined into insignificance leaving behind a dusty, lugubrious
town largely ignorant of its glorious past. Axum's other major
attraction is possibly more remarkable than its putative Ark: its
stone obelisks (stellae), weighing up to 500 tonnes, and dating
from around 300AD. In 2008 one such obelisk was returned to
Ethiopia with great fanfare after having been looted by Italy in
the early 20th century.
