Aksum
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Aksum,
believed to be founded in the 2nd century B.C, was
once the capital city of one of the world’s four superpowers.
Queen Sheba was one of the famous
Aksumite rules whose capital and residence was the town of Aksum itself.
Today in the remains of the Queen’s palace, one can see, among other things,
the bathing rooms, a throne room, and a large kitchen of brick ovens.
The New Testament states that the Abyssinian Queen “came
from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon.” Makeda, as
the queen is known in her home country, conceived from King Solomon and,
as a result bore him a son, Menelik I, king of Ethiopia. Legend has it
that Menelik I, the founder of the Solomonic Dynasty, traveled to Jerusalem
to visit his father. Up on his return, he secretly brought the original
Ark of the convenant to Aksum, and infact, it was Azarias the son of Zadok,
and one of the companions ordered by King Solomon to accompany the young
Ethiopian who has brought the Ark of the Covenant to its final resting
place in Aksum on the will of God. From our early biblical teachings,
we know that God himself inscribed the Ten Commandments upon two stone
tablets and gave them to the Prophet Moses who placed them in the Ark.
Since Menelik’s time Ethiopia has explicitly and consistently made it
clear to the world that the ark peacefully rests in “the sacred city of
the Ethiopians”. But it took the civilized world at least thirty centuries
to reluctantly acknowledge the claim of the Ethiopian as the true guardians
of the Ark of the covenant God.
Aksum’s glorius civilization is best symbolized today by its many monolithic
obelisks. The largest, though fallen are broken, is more than 33 meters
in height and about 500 tons weight. Its four sides are richly decorated
and each represents façade of a twelve storey buildings. The second largest
stele was physically removed by the Italians during the unsuccessful attempt
to colonize Ethiopia. It was erected in Rome for many years in front of
the head quarters of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization
near the site of the circus maximus but now returned back to Ethiopia
and erected. The third largest, still standing is 23 meters high showing
a façade of nine storeys of nine stores. The colossal granite obelisks
of Aksum provide striking opportunities for thought and speculation. No
body knows for certain how, when or why these obelisks were erected and
what mechanisms were deployed in craving and transporting them. However,
tradition
points out that the immense power of elephants was used in moving the
stones. “The stele was erected with the aid of earthen ramps and tremendous
human effort,” guesses Munro- Hay. Professor Richard Pankhurst and Graham
Hancock helplessly but perhaps rightly conclude: “There are no easy answers
to such questions, and the visitor today will find his mind turning superstitiously
to thoughts of magic, and of the mysterious intervention of the Gods in
the affairs of men. “ Nonetheless, these great relics, many of them still
standing, are living testimonies to the unparallel status Aksum had once
occupied in the world.
Aksum accepted Christianity as early as the 4th century AD and almost immediately built the church of St. Mary of Tsion, the first in sub-Saharan Africa. King Ezana and Frumentius, Ethiopia’s first Bishop played the deciive role in the rapid Christianization of the country. Since then, Aksum has become the most revered Christian city of Ethiopia. For the majority of Ethiopians, Aksum is synyomous with Christianity and history.
Furthermore, Aksum was the only
African state to mint its own currency in ancient times. According to
pankhurst and Hancock. Aksum , during the 9th or 10th century, had more
than 500 types of coins 170 in gold, 18 in silver, and more than 300 in
bronze.
The issue of coinage was a very important propaganda instrument for Aksum,
because it was used to convey a message to its neighbors, foe and friend
a like, that Aksum was a sovereign state, Moreover, it helped to simplify
trade and of course, was a lucrative business.
The city of Aksum was not only a capital. And religious centers but also
a coronation site for Ethiopian kings; King Zara Yaqob (1434-68) is the
first king to reintroduce the ancient coronation rites at Aksum.
Even today, modern Aksum is still
eclipsed by ancient Aksum. The Mai Shum, Queen Sheba’s pleasure bath,
the Queen’s ruined plalce, king Kaleb’s tomb and many other legacies of
the age-old history, culture, and religion of old Aksum reflect what it
has in the past and attract many tourists.
Aksum is also very much known for its colorful religious ceremonies. The
commeratives Day of St. Mary of Zion is the most excited one. It occurs
every years on 21st of Hidar(9th of December in most years). The occasion
is always accompanied by rituals and dances. Aksum is reached both by
plane and land from Addis Ababa.
The
monastery of Debre Damo
The road after Adigrat is escorted by more exceptional
wonders intervened between breathtaking sceneries 30km after this town,
the track starts to skirt a series of flat – topped peaks, of which one
supports, Debre Damo monastery , the oldest and the most distinguished
marvel. The relic, 2800m above sea level lies 184km far from Mekelle and
41 km from Adigrat. A zigzagging way leads right to the foot of the plateau
/ amba/.
The flat- topped “Imba” (plateau) measures about 1000 meters from northeast
to southwest and 500 meters from northwest to southeast and is surrounded
by sheer cliffs. Ascent to the mountaintop is only possible by using the
15 meter plaited leather rope (the “Jende”) that is hanging down from
the summit. The church is dedicated to its founder.. Abune Aregawi (Zemikale).
One of the nine saints who taught gospel in the country in the 6th century.
According to local tradition, Abune Aregawi is believed to have been taken
to the top of the Imba with the help of a serpent that was commanded to
do so by God. Today the ‘Jende’ symbolizes the miraculous serpent. Visitors
need to be tightly tied up around their waists by the supplementary rope
as a means of additional safety. Female visitors are not allowed to the
church.
On top of the Imba there are two churches. The main one 20m deep and 9m
wide, was constructed under the auspices of Emperor Gebre- Meskel, the
Ethiopian king who reigned in the 6 century. It is believed to have been
built of the very site where the serpent had safely dropped the founder,
described by Richard Pankurst as “a veritable jewel of ancient Ethiopian
architecture”, the church is built following an Axumite style of construction;
layers of stone alternated with layers of wood. The walls are constructed
of stones and strengthened with longitudinal beams which are themselves
fixed to the walls with projecting woods otherwise known as “monkey heads”.
The walls of the church show resemblance to the decorative styles displayed
on the obelisks of Aksum. The monolithic pillars, the walls, the beams,
the wooden doors, and windows depict Aksumite architecture.
On the ceiling of the sanctuary one can observe wooden carvings of different
animals such as cattle, elephants, water birds, etc. Ancient stone pillars
can also be inspected in the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. In 1948,
Derek Mattews not only provided more information about the church as well
as the other buildings on the top of the Imba but also substantially restored
it. Although the church has undergone not very few restoration works,
it still retains its original structure.
The second church is built on the eastern verge of the Imba. According
to local tradition, that very site is the spot where Abune Aregawi had
finally vanished unnoticed, hence “Misiwarom” (literally a place where
he vanished from). It is a small church only frequented by hermits living
on the Imba.
On the top of the Imba, there are hundreds of resident monks. It is true
that the monks, among other things, have greatly contributed towards church
education and literature in Ethiopia and, in this regard, Debre Damo has
won unparalleled fame and reputation. Besides, the monastery has served
as a safe haven for Ethiopian kings who were pursued by their enemies,
the prominent example being Atse Lebne Dengle of the 16th centaury, who
sought refuge there whilst fighting Ahmed Gragn’s army.
The monastery of Debre Damo possesses many treasures including ancient
manuscripts, crosses, etc. Visiting the monastery emotionally takes you
back to the distant past of Ethiopian religious life, or as professor
Richard Pankurst rightly concludes, “ It takes today’s traveler into a
past age and leaves him with a deeper understanding of Ethiopia’s age
– old and unique civilization than mere words can give”.
The top of the Imba also commands magnificent views towards Hazemo in
Eritrea to the far north and the “fantastic shapes” of the Adwa Mountains
to the west. The annual festival takes place on October 24 ( Tikimt 14)
Yeha
It is another historic place adorned with a set
of attractive rock- pillars comes next. That is Yeha where a shadow of
the past culture still waves.
Yeha is famous for its huge and remarkable temple. The temple is believed
to date back to the 5th century BC. However, according to the 19th century
German scholar Heinrich Miller, the temple is thought to date back to
about seven or eight hundred years before the birth of Christ.
The imposing ruins of Yeha’s temple though roofless still stand. It was
a large pre- Christian temple consisting of a single oblong chamber. The
area of the remains of the temple measures 18.5m by 15m and its height
stands at 12 meters. The temple is believed to be the oldest standing
building in the country.
The town of Yeha is considered by archaeologists and historians to be
the prime capital of the pre- Aksumite period. It holds many archaeological
mysteries. The surrounding area has yet to be fully excavated. No doubt,
many archaeological mysteries are still hiding deep under the earth here
waiting to be unraveled.
Yeha has been known to the outside world since the early 16th century,
probably first through the Portuguese. The famous Portuguese traveler,
Francisco Alvearez, described Yeha as “a very large and handsome town,
both for its height and the good workmanship of its walls.”
Constructed of huge stones without the use of mortar, it has surprisingly
defied the pressures and wear-and- tear of natural forces for least 25
centuries. Professor David phillipson writes, “The temple undoubtedly
owes its good preservation to the fact that it was subsequently (perhaps
about a thousand years after its initial construction) converted into
a Christian church.” He adds, “The outer faces, edges and corners are
superbly dressed with great precision.”
Since the 16th century Yeha has been visited by many foreign travelers,
perhaps the most notables being the famous Scottish traveler James Bruce
in 1769 and the British traveler Henry Salt in the early 19th century.
The Englishman Theodore Bent unearthed inscriptions in 1893 and the Deutsche
Aksum Expedition of 1906 sketched Yeha for their reports. Significant
archaeological objects were unearthed in excavation works undertaken in
the 1960s and the early 1970s to demonstrate the importance of the site.
Now Yeha seems to be archaeologists’ paradise.
Beside the remarkable temple, a church dedicated to Abba Aftse stands.
Abba Aftse was one of the famous nine saints who came to Ethiopia in the
6th century from the east Roman Empire to teach the Gospel. These Christian
monks founded a number of important monasteries and churches in many parts
of Tigrai.
The church, sharing the same compound with the temple, is rectangular
in shape. One can see several engravings of ibex heads on the walls of
the church and those suggest the sacredness of the animal. Enda Abba Aftse
is also one of the wealthiest churches in terms of church treasures and
manuscripts. Amongst the fine crosses is one which, according to the church
officials, belonged to the founder of the church, Abba Aftse himself.
Several beautifully decorated manuscripts, as well as numerous other priceless
treasures are housed in the church. Another interesting relic and well
worth a look is a block of stone bearing inscriptions in Sabean, the old
language of South Arabia.
Yeha with its ancient temple and magnificent site is a mysterious place
that still beckons the traveler as few other places do.