Towering stelae of an ancient empire
Axum was the centre of the Aksumite kingdom, a major trading power in the first centuries AD. Its stelae field is dominated by tall granite obelisks carved to resemble multi-storey buildings; the Obelisk of Axum, taken to Rome in the 1930s, was returned and re-erected in 2008. The Church of St Mary of Zion is traditionally believed to house the Ark of the Covenant in a guarded chapel. Tombs, the ruins of a palace associated with the Queen of Sheba and ancient inscriptions complete the site.