Holy city of Ethiopia
Axum is located in the far north of Ethiopia and is the oldest city in the country. Three thousand years ago, people were living there. They came from Yemen and were known as the Habasat, which is why Ethiopia used to be called Abyssinia. Axum grew into a powerful kingdom with king Menelik I as the first king. Through him, the Ark of the Covenant – a wooden coffin containing the Ten Commandments – would have come from Jerusalem to Axum. In the third century, Christianity was declared a national religion in the city. As a result, Axum is considered the Holy City of Ethiopia. Ruins of ancient palaces, tombstones, giant granite obelisks and the queen of Sheba's bath are the silent witnesses to the city's illustrious past.