Axum Stelae Field

Axum Stelae Field

First things first, these are Stelae and not Obelisk!

  • Stelae; is a stone slab, in general, taller than it is wide, erected mainly as a grave stone or for commemoration purposes.
  • Obelisk; is the same thing as a Stela but has a pyramidal point on top and was used as a monument.

Personally, those two descriptions have me even more confused, so for this page, we shall call them Stelae (plural) and Stela (singular) :)

This amazing Stelae field is around 1700 years old and is found on the opposite side of the road from the St. Mary of Zion Church and around 2 minutes drive from the centre of town.

It is home to Seven of these large hand carved Stela, with the tallest being 21 metres high. The largest Stela however never made it to great heights and now this 500-ton beast lies broken on the floor, a magnificent site in any case.

These Stelae are believed to be the gravestones of past Aksumite Kings. To the left of the Stelae Field, there is a recently uncovered tomb, well worth the 1-minute walk to check it out.

There is also a museum on site that is quite interesting with historical photographs and artefacts.

All photos have been taken by us here at Uyaphi.com with the sole purpose of showcasing one of Axum's most important historical sites.

Axum Stelae Field Image Gallery

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