Axum, Ethiopia - The Stelae Field

April 12 - Axum, at the northern tip of Ethiopia, is known for being the original ancient capital, dating back to at least 1,000 B.C.  Most of the recorded history from this area starts at the time of Christ, and the Axumite Empire lasted until the 10th century.  However, the area's most famous ruler was The Queen of Sheba at least 3,000 years ago. 

These large stelae, or obelisks, are configured in a field less than 1,000 square meters. There are more than 75 stelae in all shapes and sizes. They are believed to have no religious significance, but they were erected by local kings in the 3rd and 4th centuries as a sign of their power and significance. The tallest one standing is the one in the center. At 26 meters high, the builder is unknown. During the Italian occupation in the late 1930s, this stele was cut into 3 pieces, moved, and reconstructed on the Piazza in Rome. After decades of negotiations it was finally returned to Ethiopia in 2005. The braced stele at far right (23 meters) is credited to King Ezana, who was the first Christian ruler of Axum, and the last king to build a stele.  The stele is tipping to the north, so the braces were put in place during the reconstruction of the center stele. We were told some day the braces wil be removed. After Ezana's rule, they started bulling churches rather than stelae. The fallen stele, which would be the tallest at 33 meters, was erected by King Remhai in the 3rd century. 

Mose (means "man with a nice smile" in Amharic), our guide, is explaining what some of the stele symbols mean. 

Under the fallen stele of King Remhai, there is a 12 vault burial chamber. 10 bodies have been excavated and archeologists believe there are 3 more to find based on what is written on the stele. 

This is the false door and entry to King Rumhai's own burial chamber not far from the stele. In addition to a vault for the King, there are adjacent vaults in which the king's guards were buried, except that the guards were entombed ALIVE in order to provide protection for the King as he entered the next life. 

The still sealed coffin of King Remhai, as it was found in 1974 by Neville Chittick, a British archeologist.