Axum Obelisks Tour Packages

“The last of the great ancient civilization of antiquity to be revealed to modern knowledge”. Dr Neville Chittick.
This place is one of the most important ancient sites in sub-Saharan Africa. A high civilization started to rise here as early as 400BC. For close to 1000 years Aksum dominated sea borne trade from Africa through Asia and the kingdom was raised as the fourth ancient and greatest states of the world.
Stone monoliths had been used as grave markers of the dead in northeastern parts of Africa for millennia. Aksum and its surroundings witness this tradition of erecting granite stone stele for the same tradition. What makes the Aksum’s stelae remarkable is that they are so giant and look like tower blocks. These giant stelae were carved sometime between the first and mid fourth century AD. Each of the largest obelisks standing today measures more than 160 tones. In fact the largest of the Obelisks that humans have ever attempted to erect measures more than 360 tones and culminates end of carving such a huge obelisk.
Aksum on the other hand is privileged with possessing the Ark of the Covenant which is preserved in a chapel in the St Mary church compound right in front of the great obelisk park.
Ezana’s Inscription and Caleb’s tomb:
There are some other sites where the visitors can explore. One of these sites is the tomb of Caleb and Gebremeskel, kings during the 6th century A.D. Two kilometers drive to the northeast of the obelisk park gets you to this site and have a wonderful view of the Adwa Mountains from the same spot as well. But right before you get there you will see a wonderful inscription of King Ezana, 4th century A.D. These inscriptions (as Ethiopian version of the Rosetta stone) are written in three versions of the ancient languages: Greek, Sabean, and Ge’ez. Each of them states about the Kings’ honorary titles and victories over the enemies that stretched far beyond north of the red sea.
Sixth century palace and Gobodura:
Four kilometers drive to the west of Aksum town get you to Gobodura, a site where the giant obelisks were experimented and carved and dragged to the town by huge Elephants. Today, one can find obelisks left unfinished in this site. It is between the Gobodura stelae carving field and Axum town that the sixth century palace is located. Legend has it that the palace belongs to the Queen of Sheba; however, the Dutch-Axum expedition led by a renowned archaeologist, Eno Littman( who found this place in 1906) explains that the palace was served by one of the sixth century Aksumite king.