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| − | {{Infobox World Heritage Site
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| − | | WHS = Aksum
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| − | | Image = [[Image:Axum northern stelea park.jpg|300px|The Northern Stelae Park in Axum with the King Ezana's Stele at the centre and the Great Stele lies broken]]
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| − | | State Party = {{ETH}}
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| − | | Type = Cultural
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| − | | Criteria = i, iv
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| − | | ID = 15
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| − | | Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Africa|Africa]]
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| − | | Year = 1980
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| − | | Session = 4th
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| − | | Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/15
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| − | }}
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| − | [[Image:NE 565ad.jpg|thumb|300px|Near East in 565 C.E., showing Aksum and its neighbours]]
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| − | '''Axum''', or '''Aksum''', is a [[city]] in northern [[Ethiopia]] named after the [[Kingdom of Aksum]], a naval and trading power that ruled from the region ca. 400 [[Before Christ|BC]] into the 10th century. The kingdom was occasionally referred to in medieval writings as "Ethiopia".
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| − | Located in the [[Mehakelegnaw Zone]] of the [[Tigray Region]] near the base of the [[Adwa]] mountains, the city has an elevation of 2,130 meters. It was the centre of the (eventual) [[Christian]] [[Marine (ocean)|marine]] [[trade|trading]] [[power (international)|power]] the Aksumite Kingdom, which predated the earliest mentions in [[Roman era]] writings (around the time of the birth of [[Jesus]]) in good correlation to the expansion of Rome into northern Africa, and later when it developed into the Christian kingdom, was a quasi-ally of [[Byzantium]] against the day's [[Persian Empire]]. The historical record is unclear, primary sources being in the main limited to ancient church records.
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| − | It is believed it began a long slow decline after the 7th century due partly to Islamic groups contesting trade routes. Eventually Aksum was cut off from its principal markets in [[Alexandria]], [[Byzantium]] and [[Southern Europe]] and its trade share was captured by Arab traders of the era. The Kingdom of Aksum also quarreled with Islamic groups over religion. Eventually the people of Aksum were forced south and their civilization declined. As the kingdom's power declined so did the influence of the city, which is believed to have lost population in the decline similar to Rome and other cities thrust away from the flow of world events. The last known (nominal) king to reign was crowned ca. 10th century, but the kingdom's influence and power ended long before that.
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| − | Its decline in population and trade then contributed to the shift of the power centre of the Ethiopian Empire so that it moved further inland and bequeathed its alternative place name (Ethiopia) to the region, and eventually, the modern state.<ref>G. Mokhtar, ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. II, Abridged Edition'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), pp. 215-35. ISBN 0-85255-092-8</ref>
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| − | Based on figures from the [[Central Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)|Central Statistical Agency]] in 2005, Axum has an estimated total population of 47,320 of whom 20,774 were males and 21,898 were females.<ref>[http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics], Table B.4</ref> Seventy-five percent of the people in the city are members of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]]. The remainder of the population is [[Sunni]] [[Muslim]] and [[P'ent'ay]] (Protestant and other non-Orthodox Christians).
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| − | Aksum is served by an [[Aksum Airport|airport]] ([[ICAO]] code HAAX, [[IATA]] AXU).
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| − | Due to their [[history|historical]] value, in 1980 [[UNESCO]] added Aksum's archaeological sites to its list of [[World Heritage Site]]s.
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| − | == The Aksumite kingdom and the Ethiopian Church ==
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| − | [[Image:Ark of the Covenant church in Axum Ethiopia.jpg|thumb|250px|The Chapel of the Tablet]]
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| − | The [[kingdom of Aksum]] had its own written language called [[Ge'ez language|Ge'ez]], and also developed a distinctive architecture exemplified by giant obelisks, the oldest of which (though much smaller) date from 5,000-2,000 B.C.E.<ref>Herausgegeben von Uhlig, Siegbert, ''Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: D-Ha'' (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2005), p. 871.</ref> This kingdom was at its height under king [[Ezana]], baptized as Abreha, in the [[4th century AD|300s]] (which was also when it officially embraced [[Christian]]ity).<ref>J.D. Fage, ''A History of Africa'' (London: Routledge, 2001). pp. 53-54. ISBN 0-415-25248-2</ref>
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| − | The [[Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Church]] claims that the [[Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion]] in Aksum houses the [[Bible|Biblical]] [[Ark of the Covenant]] in which lies the [[Tablets of Law]] upon which the [[Ten Commandments]] are inscribed.<ref name=Hodd>Hodd, Mike, ''Footprint East Africa Handbook'' (New York: Footprint Travel Guides, 2002), p. 859. ISBN 1-900949-65-2</ref> This same church was the site Ethiopian emperors were crowned for centuries until the reign of [[Fasilides of Ethiopia|Fasilides]], then again beginning with [[Yohannes IV of Ethiopia|Yohannes IV]] until the end of the empire. Axum is considered to be the holiest city in Ethiopia and is an important destination of pilgrimages.<ref name=Hodd /> Significant religious festivals are the T'imk'et Festival (known as the [[Epiphany (feast)|Epiphany]] in western Christianity) on [[7 January]] and the [[Festival of Maryam Zion]] in late November.
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| − | In 1937, a 24-metre tall, 1700-year-old [[Obelisk of Axum|obelisk standing in Axum]] was cut into three parts by [[Italy|Italian]] soldiers and shipped to [[Rome]] to be re-erected. The obelisk is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of engineering from the height of the Axumite empire. Despite a 1947 [[United Nations]] agreement that the obelisk would be shipped back, Italy balked, resulting in a long-standing diplomatic dispute with the Ethiopian government, which views the obelisk as a symbol of national identity. In April 2005, Italy finally returned the obelisk pieces to Axum amidst much official and public rejoicing, Italy also covered the $4 million costs of the transfer. UNESCO has assumed responsibility for the re-installation of this stele in Axum, and as of the end of July 2008 the obelisk has been reinstalled (see panographic photos in external links below). Rededication of the obelisk took place on September 4, 2008 in Paris, France with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi dedicating the obelisk to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano for his kind efforts in returning the obelisk.
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| − | == Axum and Islam ==
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| − | Although Axumite Muslims have attempted to build a mosque in this most holy of Ethiopian towns, Orthodox residents, and the emperors of the past have replied that they must be allowed to build an Ethiopian Orthodox church in [[Mecca]] if the Muslims are to be allowed to build a mosque in Axum.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
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| − | The connection of Axum with Islam is very old.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} According to [[ibn Hisham]],{{Fact|date=November 2007}} when [[Muhammad]] faced oppression from the [[Quraish]] clan, he sent a small group that included his daughter [[Ruqayya]] and her husband [[Uthman ibn Affan]], whom [[Ashama ibn Abjar]], the king of Axum, gave refuge to, and protection to, and refused the requests of the Quraish clan to send these refugees back to Arabia.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} These refugees did not return until the sixth year of the [[Hijra (Islam)|Hijra]] (628), and even then many remained in Ethiopia, eventually settling at [[Negash]] in eastern Tigray.{{Fact|date=November 2007}}
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| − | There are different traditions concerning the effect these early Muslims had on the ruler of Axum. The Muslim tradition is that the ruler of Axum was so impressed by these refugees that he became a secret convert.<ref>Ibn Ishaq, ''The Life of Muhammad'' (Oxford, 1955), 657-58.</ref> On the other hand, arabic historians & Ethiopian tradition states that some of the Muslim refugees who lived in Ethiopia during this time converted to Orthodox Christianity. Worth mentioning is a second Ethiopian tradition that, on the death of Ashama ibn Abjar, Muhammed is reported to have prayed for the king's soul, and told his followers, "Leave the Abyssinians in peace, as long as they do not take the offensive.<ref>Paul B. Henze, ''Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia'' (New York: Palgrave, 2000), pp. 42f</ref>
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| − | ==Sites of interest==
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| − | The major Aksumite [[monument]]s in the town are [[stelae]]; the largest number lie in the [[Northern Stelae Park]], ranging up to the 33-metre (33 M high 3.84 M wide 2.35 M deep 520 tonnes) [[Great Stele]], believed to have fallen and broken during construction. The tallest standing is the 24-metre (20.6 M high 2.65 M wide 1.18 M deep 160 tonnes) [[King Ezana's Stele]]. [[Obelisk of Axum|Another stele (24.6 M high 2.32 M wide 1.36 M deep 170 tonnes)]] looted by the Italian army was returned to Ethiopia in 2005 and reinstalled July 31 2008 <ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/456 "Mission accomplished: Aksum Obelisk successfully reinstalled" (August 1, 2008)]</ref>. This stele was broken into 3 pieces before being looted. Three more stele measure 18.2 M high 1.56 M wide 0.76 M deep 56 tonnes, 15.8 M high 2.35 M wide 1 M deep 75 tonnes, 15.3 M high 1.47 M wide 0.78 M deep 43 tonnes <ref>Scarre, Chris ''Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World'' 1999</ref> The stelae are believed to mark [[Grave (burial)|graves]] and would have had cast metal discs affixed to their sides, which are also carved with architectural designs. The [[Gudit Stelae]] to the west of town, unlike the northern area, are interspersed with mostly [[fourth century|fourth-century]] [[tomb]]s.
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| − | Other features of the town include [[St Mary of Zion]] church, built in 1665 and said to contain the [[Ark of the Covenant]] (a prominent twentieth-century church of the same name neighbours it), [[archaeological]] and [[ethnographic]] [[museum]]s, the [[Ezana Stone]] written in [[Sabaean]], [[Ge'ez language|Ge'ez]] and [[Ancient Greek]] in a similar manner to the [[Rosetta Stone]], [[King Bazen's Tomb]] (a [[megalith]] considered to be one of the earliest structures), the so-called [[Queen of Sheba's Bath]] (actually a [[reservoir (water)|reservoir]]), the fourth-century [[Ta'akha Maryam]] and [[sixth century|sixth-century]] [[Dungur]] palaces, the monasteries of [[Abba Pentalewon]] and [[Abba Liqanos]] and the [[Lioness of Gobedra]] [[rock art]].
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| − | Local legend claims the [[Queen of Sheba]] lived in the town.
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| − | ==Sister cities==
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| − | *{{flagicon|United States}} [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], [[United States|USA]] (since 1995)
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| − | ==See also==
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| − | *[[List of megalithic sites]]
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| − | ==References==
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| − | {{reflist}}
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| − | == Further reading ==
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| − | * Francis Anfray. ''Les anciens ethiopiens.'' Paris: Armand Colin, 1991.
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| − | * Yuri M. Kobishchanov. ''Axum'' (Joseph W. Michels, editor; Lorraine T. Kapitanoff, translator). University Park, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania, 1979. ISBN 0-271-00531-9
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| − | * David W. Phillipson. ''Ancient Ethiopia. Aksum: Its antecedents and successors.'' London: The British Brisith Museum, 1998.
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| − | * David W. Phillipson. ''Archaeology at Aksum, Ethiopia, 1993-97.'' London: Brisith Institute in Eastern Africa, 2000.
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| − | * Stuart Munro-Hay. ''Aksum: An African Civilization of Late Antiquity''. Edinburgh: University Press. 1991. ISBN 0-7486-0106-6 [http://users.vnet.net/alight/aksum/mhak1.html online edition]
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| − | * Stuart Munro-Hay. ''Excavations at Aksum: An account of research at the ancient Ethiopian capital directed in 1972-74 by the late Dr Nevill Chittick'' London: British Institute in Eastern Africa, 1989 ISBN 0-500-97008-4
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| − | * Sergew Hable Sellassie. ''Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270'' Addis Ababa: United Printers, 1972.
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| − | * ''African Zion, the Sacred Art of Ethiopia''. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993.
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | *[http://www.ethiopiantreasures.toucansurf.com/pages/aksum.htm Ethiopian Treasures — Queen of Sheba, Aksumite Kingdom — Aksum]
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| − | *[http://archaeology.about.com/cs/africa/a/aksum.htm Kingdom of Aksum] article from "About Archaeology"
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| − | *[http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=15 UNESCO – World Heritage Sites — Aksum]
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| − | *[http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aksu_1/hd_aksu_1.htm The Metropolitam Museum of Art — "Foundations of Aksumite Civilization and Its Christian Legacy (1st–7th century)"]
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| − | *[http://www.ethiopiatravel.com/Axum_eng.htm On Axum]
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| − | *[http://www.selamta.net/axum.htm More on Axum]
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| − | *[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02163a.htm Axum from Catholic Encyclopedia]
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| − | * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4472259.stm Final obelisk section in Ethiopia], [[BBC]], [[25 April]] [[2005]]
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| − | *[http://www.aluka.org/action/showCompilationPage?doi=10.5555%2FAL.CH.COMPILATION.HERITAGE-SITE.AXUM Axum Heritage Site on Aluka digital library]
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| − | *[http://www.WHTour.org/15 Aksum World Heritage Site in panographies] - 360 degree interactive imaging
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| − | [[Category:Geography]]
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| − | {{Credit|260634412}}
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