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Axum (Aksum) Stele ~ Ethiopia travel pictures

Queen of Sheba baths, Northern Stele Park, Great Stele

The Axum (Aksum) stele fields are one of the main attractions in Ethiopia; The Queen of Sheba Baths are another. I'd come to Aksum (Axum) to see the northern stele fields, by road from Bahir Dar, and Blue Nile Falls (Tis Isat), to Gonder and Debark, at Simien Mountains National Park. From Axum, I'd fly back to Addis Ababa, for an Ethiopian coffee ceremony. If you're interested in, or traveling to Ethiopia, have a look at some Ethiopia books, Amharic phrasebooks.

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Northern Stele ParkNorthern Stele Park in Aksum ethiopia filled with ancient obelisks.

In April 2005, there's one more of the ancient obelisks on view, as Italy returned the Rome Stele taken from these fields in 1937. Due to the massive weight weight of the stele, it was cut into three 60-ton sections and flown to Aksum in a Russian-built cargo plane, one of two in the world large enough to handle the job. The 24.6 metre (81-foot) Rome Stele is thought to be 2,000 years old, and is one of Ethiopia's national treasures. And there's more: Under a parking lot on what was the stele's original site, a vast funerary chamber was recently discovered, believed to be a royal necropolis (See UNESCO News for details.)

There are more than 120 stele in this, the largest of the Aksum stele fields, located just north east of the town. All told, there are more than 176 stele, in three such parks. According to our guide, only 2 percent have been excavated. He cited the reasons as partly due to this area's proximity to Eritrea and the current political situation, and partly due to lack of funding. Aksum's well-preserved stele are each carved from a single block of granite -- the finer the carving, the more elaborate the funerary chamber they are thought to mark.

Abandoned Archaeology Dig northern stele fields in aksum ethiopia. Abandoned Stele Dig

One excavation appeared to be underway (under the roof of a sun shade in the photo), but our guide said no work had been done for some time. "Some archaeologists came and started to work, then left. Then, a few years later, another archaeologist came and worked for a while, but he left a year or so ago." As we wandered around the abandoned dig, a weasel scavenged among the dry underbrush, and lizards skittered in the sunlight.

Great Stele of Aksum ethiopia lies on the ground in the stele fields. Great Stele of Aksum

Though the Great Stele, in the Central Stele Park, appears to have fallen, there is doubt that it was ever upright. Most likely it fell as it was being erected. It is thought that this stele fell close to two thousand years ago, around the time that Christianity was introduced to this area.

Great Stele close up in aksum ethiopia shows its true size. Great Stele close up

At 33 metres (108 feet), the Great Stele is the largest monolith ever sculpted, says UNESCO, on their web site.

Queen of Sheba Baths in aksum ethioipia not far from border with eritrea is a reservoir partly filled with greenish water. Queen of Sheba Baths

More accurately termed a reservoir, the Queen of Sheba Baths are a few kilometres north of Aksum, almost abuting the northeast corner of the Northern Stele Park. Aksum served as the Queen of Sheba's capital in the 10th century BC, and the Baths are still in daily use. The low water level indicates it's the dry season.

ethiopian women carry baskets of laundry down the Steps to the water in the Queen of Sheba's Baths  in aksum. Steps to Queen of Sheba's Baths

From our position near the road outside the fence, we could see women doing laundry. Laundry is dried in in the strong sunlight, which acts as a bleach to removes impurities. These are the only steps leading into the Baths. They are located to the lower right of the view in the above photo.

close up  view of stone steps at Queen of Sheba Baths where Aksum ethiopia ladies are washing clothes . women at Queen of Sheba Baths

I don't know about you, but I think it's amazing to be able to wash your clothes at the Queen of Sheba's Baths. The Queen of Sheba. Let it sink in a minute. 'Sheba', I was told, is Amharic for 'powerful king'.

Dungur is the Queen of Sheba Palace stacked stone walls ruins of Dungur,  the Queen of Sheba Palace, near aksum ethiopia .

 

Remnants of Queen of Sheba's Palace lie in a barren, desert like field located several miles west of Askum, past the Gudit Stele Field.

This view is west from the palace compound walls.


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More pictures of Ethiopia

Addis Ababa * Gonder

Bahir Dar * Aksum

Simien Mountains and Debark
Blue Nile Falls
Ethiopia books and guidebooks
Ethiopian foods * Ethiopia Information
Tips Before You Go and What To Pack
Ethiopia Travel Story

 




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