On to Aksum

The early history of Aksum goes back to 400 BC.  It has been described as "the last of the great civilizations of Antiquity to be revealed to modern knowledge."  According to Ethiopian legend, Aksum was the Queen of Sheba's capitol in the 10th century.

We arrived mid morning and hired a three wheeled bajaj to go out and explore on our own.

Our first stop was Queen of Sheba's castle.

Kids were everywhere selling all kinds of souvenirs.

Next we headed off to the stelae fields.  Stelaes are ancient stone obelisks which are thought to mark burial sites.  The largest tower a hundred feet in the air and are ornately decorated.  Some date back to the 4th century.  

Lucas and Andrew went off in search of a camel ride while Dominick and I visited the St. Mary of Zion churches.  The old church was built in 1665 and a newer one was built by Haile Selassie in the 1960's.

In between the two churches is a tiny carefully guarded chapel which Ethiopians believe contains the Ark of the Covenant.

No one but a single monk who remains inside is allowed to view the ark.  Conflicting stories exist as to how the ark moved from Sinai to Jerusalem and finally the Aksum.  Some legends suggest that Menelik, the son of Sheba and Solomon brought the ark here.  Regardless, Ethiopian Christians believe the ark is here.

We headed back to our hotel and along the way sampled an ancient Ethiopian refreshment.