October 8, 2025 • 13 mins
Join us for the latest episode of the Global Treasures Podcast, where we dive into the history and travel tips for visiting Aksum. This UNESCO world heritage site marks the center of ancient Ethiopia, and was added to the list in 1980.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Abigail (00:00):
Imagine a place that tells a story spanning centuries where
culture and nature intertwine tocreate something truly extraordinary.
That's the beauty of UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.
I'm Abigail, and this is GlobalTreasures, the podcast that covers
(00:22):
the history, travel tips, andlegends surrounding one of the 1,223
World Heritage sites each episode.
These places have been identifiedas having universal, cultural or
natural significance that is soexceptional that it transcends national
(00:42):
boundaries and is of importanceto present and future generations.
Welcome to the official start of seasonthree, where we'll explore the 27 sites
that UNESCO added in 1980 together.
Thank you for listening to the podcast.
I appreciate all of your support.
(01:03):
Please be sure to subscribe at ApplePodcasts, Spotify, Podbean or your
favorite platform and leave a fivestar review if you like what you hear.
You can also follow us onTikTok and Facebook for updates
when we drop new episodes.
Finally, please be sure to tellyour friends about us if they love
(01:24):
travel and or history as well.
Near if Ethiopia's Northern Borderlocated amid the rough landscape
lies the ancient ruins of Aksum.
Dating from the first to the 13thcentury, Aksum was once the vibrant
center of ancient Ethiopia, servingas the supreme power between the
(01:47):
Eastern Roman Empire and Persia.
Roaming through Aksum today, one findsthemselves faced with marvelous feats
of engineering and craftsmanship,such as colossal, monolithic obelisks,
carved with an eye for detail.
In the sixth and seventh centuries, themajestic stone penetrates the sky, telling
(02:11):
a story of a civilization that prospered.
The massive Stelae, stone slabs erectedas a monument stand adjacent to royal
tombs and the remnants of castles.
Stelae usually have text or picturesthat tell a story carved into them,
serving as a reminder of a former era.
(02:34):
These were erected primarily betweenthe first and eighth centuries when
Aksum represented extensive wealthand authority within the country.
Even though Aksum was no longerpolitically relevant after the 10th
century, it continued to be a place ofcoronation, where Ethiopian emperors would
(02:56):
be crowned and a place of deep importanceand tradition to the people of Ethiopia.
The Kingdom of Aksum was a central linkwithin the ancient world, located at the
junction of three continents, Africa,Arabia, and the Greco-Roman world.
(03:16):
This key location permitted itunprecedented command over trade routes.
Aksum's influence stretched far and wideacross a wide area of the Tigray plateau,
controlling the profitable ivory tradewithin Sudan, while its large fleet of
ships dominated the Red Sea, securingits economic and political success.
(03:41):
Inscriptions etched into stone slabs atAksum are a vast historical significance.
These crucial texts are in multiplelanguages, the first being Greek,
which was adopted as the commonlanguage of the Hellenistic world.
The second was Sabaean, a languagespoken by people from Southern Arabia
(04:04):
who came to Ethiopia to the Highlands,specifically around 1000 BC. These
bilingual engravings provide pivotalunderstandings of the cross-cultural
exchanges and clarified how writing andtrade were influenced and ultimately
shaped society the fourth century.
(04:28):
A sweeping shift to the region with theintroduction of Christianity to Aksum.
This ushered in an era where Aksum saw theconstruction of numerous churches, none
more celebrated than St. Mary of Zion.
For those fascinated by mysteries andlegends like I am, St. Mary of Zion
(04:49):
holds an exceptionally riveting claim.
It's believed to have oncehoused the Ark of the Covenant.
For those unfamiliar with the 1981film, Raiders of the Lost Ark starring
Harrison Ford as none other thanIndiana Jones -a quick description
of this ancient artifact is required.
(05:12):
The Ark of the Covenant hasbeen described as a solid gold
elaborately decorated chest.
According to biblical accounts,it contains the tablets of
the law on which God deliveredthe 10 Commandments to Moses.
The Book of Exodus also stated it heldthe walking sticks used by Moses' brother.
(05:35):
Further, the legend states thatthe son of King Solomon and the
Queen of Sheba were the ones tobring this holy relic to Aksum.
The Ark of the covenant's currentwhereabouts remain unknown with
theories and claims circulatingabout its supposed location.
People across the globe continuetheir search for this relic.
(05:57):
Though we may never know if it evertruly existed in the first place.
Being designated as a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site in 1980, work to preserve
this site was started and is beingdone to this day to ensure future
generations can continue to visit.
Flooding has unfortunately beenan issue in the fourth century
(06:21):
tomb of the brick arches.
So staff are continuing tomonitor the rising water table.
Now that we've covered someof the history, I'll go over
travel tips and logistics.
If you're interested in visiting thissite, check out the show notes for
tools and links to help make planningeasier at no extra cost to you.
(06:42):
Today, Aksum has a populationof around 66,000 people.
The Tigray War that occurred between2020 and 2022 caused tourism to dwindle,
though it seems to be picking up a bit.
It's estimated around 1,500 peoplevisit each month, so you won't
(07:03):
be fighting off large crowds.
You'll want to fly in Addis AbabaInternational Airport, where
you'll have a layover beforeflying into Aksum's airport.
You likely will have one or two layoversno matter what city you fly out of, if
coming from a country outside of Ethiopia.
When packing for your trip,be mindful of the weather.
(07:25):
This area tends to have cool towarm summers with mild winters.
The majority of the rainfall duringthe months of July and August.
This also may help you decide thebest time of year to go in the first
place, keeping in mind that much ofwhat you may want see is outdoors.
Also, be mindful of the factthat this area has an elevation
(07:50):
of more than 6,000 feet.
So make sure you stay well hydrated.
Bring water purification tablets, or makesure your budgeting to buy bottled water.
You'll wanna brush your teethwith it as well, depending on
where you're traveling from.
So you can navigate the siteindependently or take tours.
(08:11):
You'll have options for tours thatwill take you to both Aksum and
Simien National Park, which is anotherbreathtaking UNESCO World Heritage
site that we covered previously.
Simien is the largest nationalpark located in Ethiopia and his
home to Ras Dashan, the tallestpeak in the entire country.
(08:33):
You can take a listen by going to episode10 of season one if this is of interest.
However, if you just want someone toguide you for the day, you can find a
local tour guide who speaks English,as Amharic is the official language.
A good guide will know thedetailed history of the site as
well, and neither option is overthe top expensive by any means.
(08:58):
And if you want to navigateAksum independently.
Or again, just do a single day tour,you may want to consider flying to
Aksum just to see the site, stay onenight and fly back to Addis Ababa.
Aksum has more limited hotel andrestaurant options while Addis
Ababa, being the capital hashundreds of restaurant options.
(09:22):
There are also a wider varietyof hotel and home stay options.
Plus, it's only an hour and ahalf flight between airports and
one-way Tickets are inexpensive.
If you aren't renting a car and rely ontaxis, make sure to ask your hotel for
recommendations and have the name of yourhotel written on a piece of paper or text
(09:46):
it or email it to yourself written in thelocal language, just in case you get lost.
So why do I recommend a flight?
I don't recommend taking a busbetween Aksum and Addis Ababa
as the ride takes a full day.
It's definitely not the mostefficient use of your time.
I also don't recommend rentinga car because while city roads
(10:09):
are more likely to be paved,rural roads can be problematic.
So back to the site.
Going to the Church of our LadyMary of Zion is free, but the museum
inside has a small fee associated.
You can buy a combination ticketfor the Northern Stelae Park,
and other places of importance.
(10:31):
If you can, you'll want to try tosee the obelisk of Aksum, which was
removed by the Italian army in the1930s and wasn't reinstalled until 2008.
You can also see King Ezana's stelaeand the Ezana stone, which is often
compared favorably to the Rosetta Stone.
(10:53):
King Ezana's Stele is the largestand believed to be the marker
for underground burial chambers,specifically for the royal class.
This is notable because thispractice was discontinued
when Christianity was adopted.
Also, keep in mind, when you'readmiring the beauty of the church
(11:15):
that it's been destroyed andrebuilt more times than I can count.
Please note that the tomb of the brickarches, which I mentioned before,
is currently not open to the publicdue to issues with the structural
integrity from all of that flooding.
I also was asked if any portion ofthe film Raiders of the Lost Ark was
(11:38):
filmed here, or if there are any toursfor fans of the Indiana Jones series.
The answer is no.
The movie wasn't filmed here, norcould I find any related tours.
Finally, I want to wrap upby talking about the food.
Caffeine lovers such as myself willbe happy to hear that coffee is
(12:00):
a key part of Ethiopian culture.
Ethiopia is one of the world'slargest producers of coffee.
With it being its number onesource of export revenue.
Coffee beans from the Harar regionare known for having fruity notes.
You can even participate in coffeeceremonies or coffee tasting tours.
(12:22):
This will give you the opportunityto try coffee from different
regions and see the process ofhow coffee goes from bean to bag.
Coffee is an important part ofEthiopian heritage, and a sense
of kinship is often built over asteaming cup of that bitter goodness.
(12:43):
Aksum is a testament to the societaland political power of ancient Africa.
It was not only the hub of earlyChristianity, but a center of
economic trade and a cultureof remarkable transformation.
Aksum continues to be a beacon,highlighting Ethiopia's historical
(13:04):
importance to world history.
Join us for our next episodewhere we will explore Al Qal'a of
Beni Hammad located in Algeria.
This is an archeological site that isan authentic fortified Muslim city and
contains the largest mosque in Algeria.
(13:25):
Until then, keep exploring, keepwondering, and keep treasuring
the remarkable diversityof our world's heritage.
Imagine a place that tells a story spanning centuries where
culture and nature intertwine tocreate something truly extraordinary.
That's the beauty of UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.
I'm Abigail, and this is GlobalTreasures, the podcast that covers
(00:22):
the history, travel tips, andlegends surrounding one of the 1,223
World Heritage sites each episode.
These places have been identifiedas having universal, cultural or
natural significance that is soexceptional that it transcends national
(00:42):
boundaries and is of importanceto present and future generations.
Welcome to the official start of seasonthree, where we'll explore the 27 sites
that UNESCO added in 1980 together.
Thank you for listening to the podcast.
I appreciate all of your support.
(01:03):
Please be sure to subscribe at ApplePodcasts, Spotify, Podbean or your
favorite platform and leave a fivestar review if you like what you hear.
You can also follow us onTikTok and Facebook for updates
when we drop new episodes.
Finally, please be sure to tellyour friends about us if they love
(01:24):
travel and or history as well.
Near if Ethiopia's Northern Borderlocated amid the rough landscape
lies the ancient ruins of Aksum.
Dating from the first to the 13thcentury, Aksum was once the vibrant
center of ancient Ethiopia, servingas the supreme power between the
(01:47):
Eastern Roman Empire and Persia.
Roaming through Aksum today, one findsthemselves faced with marvelous feats
of engineering and craftsmanship,such as colossal, monolithic obelisks,
carved with an eye for detail.
In the sixth and seventh centuries, themajestic stone penetrates the sky, telling
(02:11):
a story of a civilization that prospered.
The massive Stelae, stone slabs erectedas a monument stand adjacent to royal
tombs and the remnants of castles.
Stelae usually have text or picturesthat tell a story carved into them,
serving as a reminder of a former era.
(02:34):
These were erected primarily betweenthe first and eighth centuries when
Aksum represented extensive wealthand authority within the country.
Even though Aksum was no longerpolitically relevant after the 10th
century, it continued to be a place ofcoronation, where Ethiopian emperors would
(02:56):
be crowned and a place of deep importanceand tradition to the people of Ethiopia.
The Kingdom of Aksum was a central linkwithin the ancient world, located at the
junction of three continents, Africa,Arabia, and the Greco-Roman world.
(03:16):
This key location permitted itunprecedented command over trade routes.
Aksum's influence stretched far and wideacross a wide area of the Tigray plateau,
controlling the profitable ivory tradewithin Sudan, while its large fleet of
ships dominated the Red Sea, securingits economic and political success.
(03:41):
Inscriptions etched into stone slabs atAksum are a vast historical significance.
These crucial texts are in multiplelanguages, the first being Greek,
which was adopted as the commonlanguage of the Hellenistic world.
The second was Sabaean, a languagespoken by people from Southern Arabia
(04:04):
who came to Ethiopia to the Highlands,specifically around 1000 BC. These
bilingual engravings provide pivotalunderstandings of the cross-cultural
exchanges and clarified how writing andtrade were influenced and ultimately
shaped society the fourth century.
(04:28):
A sweeping shift to the region with theintroduction of Christianity to Aksum.
This ushered in an era where Aksum saw theconstruction of numerous churches, none
more celebrated than St. Mary of Zion.
For those fascinated by mysteries andlegends like I am, St. Mary of Zion
(04:49):
holds an exceptionally riveting claim.
It's believed to have oncehoused the Ark of the Covenant.
For those unfamiliar with the 1981film, Raiders of the Lost Ark starring
Harrison Ford as none other thanIndiana Jones -a quick description
of this ancient artifact is required.
(05:12):
The Ark of the Covenant hasbeen described as a solid gold
elaborately decorated chest.
According to biblical accounts,it contains the tablets of
the law on which God deliveredthe 10 Commandments to Moses.
The Book of Exodus also stated it heldthe walking sticks used by Moses' brother.
(05:35):
Further, the legend states thatthe son of King Solomon and the
Queen of Sheba were the ones tobring this holy relic to Aksum.
The Ark of the covenant's currentwhereabouts remain unknown with
theories and claims circulatingabout its supposed location.
People across the globe continuetheir search for this relic.
(05:57):
Though we may never know if it evertruly existed in the first place.
Being designated as a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site in 1980, work to preserve
this site was started and is beingdone to this day to ensure future
generations can continue to visit.
Flooding has unfortunately beenan issue in the fourth century
(06:21):
tomb of the brick arches.
So staff are continuing tomonitor the rising water table.
Now that we've covered someof the history, I'll go over
travel tips and logistics.
If you're interested in visiting thissite, check out the show notes for
tools and links to help make planningeasier at no extra cost to you.
(06:42):
Today, Aksum has a populationof around 66,000 people.
The Tigray War that occurred between2020 and 2022 caused tourism to dwindle,
though it seems to be picking up a bit.
It's estimated around 1,500 peoplevisit each month, so you won't
(07:03):
be fighting off large crowds.
You'll want to fly in Addis AbabaInternational Airport, where
you'll have a layover beforeflying into Aksum's airport.
You likely will have one or two layoversno matter what city you fly out of, if
coming from a country outside of Ethiopia.
When packing for your trip,be mindful of the weather.
(07:25):
This area tends to have cool towarm summers with mild winters.
The majority of the rainfall duringthe months of July and August.
This also may help you decide thebest time of year to go in the first
place, keeping in mind that much ofwhat you may want see is outdoors.
Also, be mindful of the factthat this area has an elevation
(07:50):
of more than 6,000 feet.
So make sure you stay well hydrated.
Bring water purification tablets, or makesure your budgeting to buy bottled water.
You'll wanna brush your teethwith it as well, depending on
where you're traveling from.
So you can navigate the siteindependently or take tours.
(08:11):
You'll have options for tours thatwill take you to both Aksum and
Simien National Park, which is anotherbreathtaking UNESCO World Heritage
site that we covered previously.
Simien is the largest nationalpark located in Ethiopia and his
home to Ras Dashan, the tallestpeak in the entire country.
(08:33):
You can take a listen by going to episode10 of season one if this is of interest.
However, if you just want someone toguide you for the day, you can find a
local tour guide who speaks English,as Amharic is the official language.
A good guide will know thedetailed history of the site as
well, and neither option is overthe top expensive by any means.
(08:58):
And if you want to navigateAksum independently.
Or again, just do a single day tour,you may want to consider flying to
Aksum just to see the site, stay onenight and fly back to Addis Ababa.
Aksum has more limited hotel andrestaurant options while Addis
Ababa, being the capital hashundreds of restaurant options.
(09:22):
There are also a wider varietyof hotel and home stay options.
Plus, it's only an hour and ahalf flight between airports and
one-way Tickets are inexpensive.
If you aren't renting a car and rely ontaxis, make sure to ask your hotel for
recommendations and have the name of yourhotel written on a piece of paper or text
(09:46):
it or email it to yourself written in thelocal language, just in case you get lost.
So why do I recommend a flight?
I don't recommend taking a busbetween Aksum and Addis Ababa
as the ride takes a full day.
It's definitely not the mostefficient use of your time.
I also don't recommend rentinga car because while city roads
(10:09):
are more likely to be paved,rural roads can be problematic.
So back to the site.
Going to the Church of our LadyMary of Zion is free, but the museum
inside has a small fee associated.
You can buy a combination ticketfor the Northern Stelae Park,
and other places of importance.
(10:31):
If you can, you'll want to try tosee the obelisk of Aksum, which was
removed by the Italian army in the1930s and wasn't reinstalled until 2008.
You can also see King Ezana's stelaeand the Ezana stone, which is often
compared favorably to the Rosetta Stone.
(10:53):
King Ezana's Stele is the largestand believed to be the marker
for underground burial chambers,specifically for the royal class.
This is notable because thispractice was discontinued
when Christianity was adopted.
Also, keep in mind, when you'readmiring the beauty of the church
(11:15):
that it's been destroyed andrebuilt more times than I can count.
Please note that the tomb of the brickarches, which I mentioned before,
is currently not open to the publicdue to issues with the structural
integrity from all of that flooding.
I also was asked if any portion ofthe film Raiders of the Lost Ark was
(11:38):
filmed here, or if there are any toursfor fans of the Indiana Jones series.
The answer is no.
The movie wasn't filmed here, norcould I find any related tours.
Finally, I want to wrap upby talking about the food.
Caffeine lovers such as myself willbe happy to hear that coffee is
(12:00):
a key part of Ethiopian culture.
Ethiopia is one of the world'slargest producers of coffee.
With it being its number onesource of export revenue.
Coffee beans from the Harar regionare known for having fruity notes.
You can even participate in coffeeceremonies or coffee tasting tours.
(12:22):
This will give you the opportunityto try coffee from different
regions and see the process ofhow coffee goes from bean to bag.
Coffee is an important part ofEthiopian heritage, and a sense
of kinship is often built over asteaming cup of that bitter goodness.
(12:43):
Aksum is a testament to the societaland political power of ancient Africa.
It was not only the hub of earlyChristianity, but a center of
economic trade and a cultureof remarkable transformation.
Aksum continues to be a beacon,highlighting Ethiopia's historical
(13:04):
importance to world history.
Join us for our next episodewhere we will explore Al Qal'a of
Beni Hammad located in Algeria.
This is an archeological site that isan authentic fortified Muslim city and
contains the largest mosque in Algeria.
(13:25):
Until then, keep exploring, keepwondering, and keep treasuring
the remarkable diversityof our world's heritage.
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